Velleity
noun /vɛˈliːɪti/ — A wish so faint it never becomes action.
Definition
The weakest form of desire — a wish or inclination not strong enough to lead to action. The idea of wanting something without any real intention of pursuing it.
Beyond the definition
Velleity is the gap between who you say you are and who you actually are. It's the book you always meant to write, the language you almost learned, the call you nearly made. It is desire that has given up before it began.
Origin & history
From Medieval Latin velleitas, from Latin velle (to wish). Distinguished in classical philosophy from voluntas (will) — velleity is will drained of all force.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
Her dream of painting was a velleity — real enough to feel, never real enough to act on.
He examined his velleities with amusement: the novel, the marathon, the language course.
Velleity is not laziness. It's the peculiar sadness of a desire that lacks belief in itself.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Velleity” when the meaning fits your context: The weakest form of desire — a wish or inclination not strong enough to lead to action. The idea of wanting something without any real intention of pursuing it.
Synonyms
half-wish, whim, vague desire, idle fancy, wistfulness
Antonyms
determination, willpower, resolve, ikigai
Related words
Word in the Wild
Illustrative story: an imagined scene, not a documented event or interview.
She had wanted, at various points, to learn Italian, to run a half-marathon, to keep a journal, to call her grandmother more.
These were not lies — she had meant them, in the moment of meaning them. But the intention had not connected to action; it had lived instead in the comfortable middle distance between wishing and doing.
She didn't beat herself up about it, eventually. "Most people have a long list," she said. "The useful thing is to know which wants are real wants and which are just the shape wants make when you're not paying attention."
Questions about this word
What does "Velleity" mean?
Velleity is noun meaning: A wish so faint it never becomes action.. The weakest form of desire — a wish or inclination not strong enough to lead to action. The idea of wanting something without any real intention of pursuing it.
Where does the word "Velleity" come from?
From Medieval Latin velleitas, from Latin velle (to wish). Distinguished in classical philosophy from voluntas (will) — velleity is will drained of all force.