Velleity

I get a word of the day e-mailed to me. I just loved the sound of this word. I think I have a natural proclivity towards velleity. My spell checker doesn't even recognize this word, guess I have a better vocabulary that it does:)


Merriam-Webster’s
Word of the Day
April 10

velleity

\vuh-LEE-uh-tee\ Audio Pronunciation
noun

Meaning
1 : the lowest degree of volition
*2 : a slight wish or tendency : inclination

Example Sentence
Samuel sometimes mentions that he would like to go back to school, but his interest strikes me as more of a velleity than a firm statement of purpose.


Did you know?
Allow us, if you will, to volunteer our knowledge about “velleity.” It is a derivative of the New Latin noun “velleitas,” from the Latin verb “velle,” meaning “to wish or will.” You might also wish to know that “velle” is the word that gave us “voluntary” (by way of Anglo-French “voluntarie” and Latin “voluntarius”) and “volunteer” (by way of French “voluntaire”). While both of those words might imply a wish to do something (specifically, to offer one’s help) and the will to act upon it, the less common “velleity” refers to a wish or inclination that is so insignificant that a person feels little or no compulsion to act.