volition
noun
Did you know?
When you do something of your own volition, you do it voluntarily, which makes sense—both volition and voluntary ultimately come from the Latin velle, meaning “to wish” or “to will.” English speakers borrowed volition from French in the 17th century, using it at first to mean “an act of choosing,” a meaning Herman Melville employed in Moby-Dick (1851): “Almost simultaneously, with a mighty volition of ungraduated, instantaneous swiftness, the White Whale darted through the weltering sea.” By then, however, the word had also developed an additional meaning, “the power to choose,” which is now more common.
Examples of volition in a Sentence
Nicholas Eberstadt, Foreign Affairs, 10 Oct. 2024
But is this due to the AGI acting in an evildoer manner to control you and doing so of its own volition?
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025
At times, fire victims — either at the property owner’s urging, or under their own volition — have submitted offers well above the initial asking price, desperate to find housing in a tight market after the fires destroyed their homes.
—Andrew Khouri, Los Angeles Times, 19 Jan. 2025
What seems most likely is Chrishell leaving of her own volition, having nothing left to gain from being on the show.
—Anusha Praturu, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for volition
Cite this Entry
“Volition.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/volition. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.
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