volition

IPA/vəˈlɪʃn/
KK[volˈɪʃən]IPA/vəʊˈlɪʃn/

volition — noun

1. the natural ability that people have to freely decide what they want to do, with

1.nounB2
Definition

the natural ability that people have to freely decide what they want to do, without being forced or controlled by others

Example

The judge accepted that Kian had signed the contract of his own volition.

of one's own volition — fixed phrase for 'by one's own choice'

Élise began studying Arabic of her own volition at the age of sixty.

Common collocations
  • of one's own volition
  • act of volition
  • exercise of volition
  • true volition
Synonyms
  • free will

    broader philosophical concept; volition emphasises the act of choosing rather than the abstract freedom

  • choice

    simpler, more common word; volition stresses the inner power to make that choice

  • will

    overlaps in meaning but 'will' also covers determination and desire; 'volition' is more specific to conscious decision-making

Antonyms
  • coercion

    being forced to act against one's will

  • compulsion

    an irresistible urge that bypasses conscious choice

Grammar Patterns

possessive + volition

of one's own volition

Usage Note

Frequently appears in the fixed phrase 'of one's own volition', meaning 'by one's own choice, without outside pressure'. Common in legal, formal, and philosophical writing.

Common Mistakes

He left his job by his own volition.
He left his job of his own volition.
the correct preposition is 'of', not 'by'.
Volition is the same as willpower.
Volition is the ability to choose, while willpower is the ability to keep trying at something difficult.
the two words are related but not synonyms in most everyday usage.

2. a particular occasion when someone makes a specific choice or decision about som

2.nounC1
Definition

a particular occasion when someone makes a specific choice or decision about something

Example

Moving to a new country was a volition that Dewi did not take lightly.

countable use: 'a volition' = 'a deliberate choice'

Hiroshi's volition to leave the family business surprised everyone at the dinner table.

Common collocations
  • conscious volition
  • deliberate volition
  • personal volition
Synonyms
  • choice

    more common and natural in everyday speech; 'volition' carries a formal, academic tone

  • decision

    widely used; 'volition' puts more emphasis on the conscious act of willing

Grammar Patterns

a + adjective + volition

Usage Note

Less common than sense 1 (POWER OF CHOICE). In sense 2 the noun is countable and refers to a single decision or selection, whereas sense 1 describes the ongoing capacity. Distinguish from sense 1 by the presence of a determiner (a/an) or adjective: 'a conscious volition' vs. 'by her own volition'.

Common Mistakes

I made a volition to study harder.
I made a decision to study harder.
'volition' in this count sense is extremely formal and rare; 'decision' or 'choice' is preferred in everyday English.
Idioms

of one's own volition

idiom

because you choose to do something, not because someone forces or asks you

Takeshi did not need to be asked — he helped the team clean up of his own volition.

The witness appeared in court of her own volition, without a court order.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Volition, free will, will, and choice all relate to the act of deciding, but they differ in scope and formality. Free will is the broadest philosophical concept — it asks whether humans can ever truly choose independently of fate or biology. Will is a more everyday word that also covers determination and desire ('the will to survive'); volition is narrower, focusing specifically on the conscious act of choosing rather than the drive behind it. Choice is the most concrete and common of the four: you make a choice every time you pick one option over another. Volition is markedly more formal and appears mostly in academic, legal, or literary writing. For example: 'She left of her own volition' (formal) versus 'She made her own choice and left' (neutral). 'He has a strong will' refers to determination, not the act of deciding.

free will ↗will ↗choice ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Volition comes from Latin 'voluntās' meaning 'will' or 'wish', which in turn comes from the verb 'velle' (to wish or want). The word entered English through French 'volition' in the early 1600s, first appearing in philosophical writing about the nature of choice and will.