velleity C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes US /vəˈliɪti/ UK /vəˈliːɪti/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 noun a wish or inclination too slight to lead to action His resolve was mere velleity, evaporating at the first hint of effort. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 noun · a wish or inclination too... inclinationwishwhimdesire ↔ Opposites resolvedeterminationvolition Word family Related forms volitionvoluntary Etymology AI details From Medieval Latin 'velleitas', from Latin 'velle' ('to wish, to will'). Denotes the lowest degree of volition, a wish unaccompanied by effort. velleitas Latin velle Latin View etymology graph -> Topics Actions & Processes Word Formation & Derivatives External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # velleity **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** noun **IPA (US):** /vəˈliɪti/ **IPA (UK):** /vəˈliːɪti/ ## Meanings 1. a wish or inclination too slight to lead to action ## Examples - His resolve was mere velleity, evaporating at the first hint of effort. ## Synonyms - inclination - wish - whim - desire ## Antonyms - resolve - determination - volition ## Related Forms - volition - voluntary ## Roots and Affixes - Root: velleitas - Root: velle ## Etymology From Medieval Latin 'velleitas', from Latin 'velle' ('to wish, to will'). Denotes the lowest degree of volition, a wish unaccompanied by effort. ## AI Etymology Velleity comes from Medieval Latin 'velleitas', from Latin 'velle' ('to wish, to will'). Denotes the lowest degree of volition, a wish unaccompanied by effort. In current use it is a noun meaning "a wish or inclination too slight to lead to action". That sense is explained by the older material without requiring a speculative semantic step: the inherited or borrowed base supplies the field of meaning, while the English formation fixes its modern role. The history is mainly one of transmission into English, with the older form and sense carried through borrowing or adaptation. The historical chain includes Latin velleitas and Latin velle. Related English forms include volition and voluntary. For dictionary purposes, the important point is the continuity between the older form, the route into English, and the present lexical sense. ## Topics - Actions & Processes - Word Formation & Derivatives markdown