Volition

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Volition \Vo*li"tion\, n. [F., fr. L. volo I will, velle to
     will, be willing. See {Voluntary}.]
     1. The act of willing or choosing; the act of forming a
        purpose; the exercise of the will.
        [1913 Webster]
  


              Volition is the actual exercise of the power the
              mind has to order the consideration of any idea, or
              the forbearing to consider it.        --Locke.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Volition is an act of the mind, knowingly exerting
              that dominion it takes itself to have over any part
              of the man, by employing it in, or withholding it
              from, any particular action.          --Locke.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. The result of an act or exercise of choosing or willing; a
        state of choice.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. The power of willing or determining; will.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Syn: Will; choice; preference; determination; purpose.
  
     Usage: {Volition}, {Choice}. Choice is the familiar, and
            volition the scientific, term for the same state of
            the will; viz., an "elective preference." When we have
            "made up our minds" (as we say) to a thing, i. e.,
            have a settled state of choice respecting it, that
            state is called an immanent volition; when we put
            forth any particular act of choice, that act is called
            an emanent, or executive, or imperative, volition.
            When an immanent, or settled state of, choice, is one
            which controls or governs a series of actions, we call
            that state a predominant volition; while we give the
            name of subordinate volitions to those particular acts
            of choice which carry into effect the object sought
            for by the governing or "predominant volition." See
            {Will}.
            [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  volition
       n 1: the capability of conscious choice and decision and
            intention; "the exercise of their volition we construe
            as revolt"- George Meredith [syn: {will}]
       2: the act of making a choice; "followed my father of my own
          volition" [syn: {willing}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  42 Moby Thesaurus words for "volition":
     alternativity, animus, appetence, appetency, appetite, choice,
     choosing, co-optation, co-option, command, conation, conatus,
     decision, desire, determination, discretion, disposition, election,
     fancy, first choice, free choice, free will, inclination,
     intention, liking, lust, mind, objective, option, passion, pick,
     pleasure, preference, preoption, resolution, selection,
     sexual desire, the pick, velleity, will, will power, wish