Meaning & use
velleity
Last updated
a mere wish or inclination for something, too slight to lead to any actual action or effort.
See it in a sentence
His interest in learning the piano remained a velleity that never turned into practice.
The committee's plan to reform the tax code was little more than a velleity.
A note on using this word
Derived from Latin 'velle' (to wish), velleity describes desire at its weakest, distinguished philosophically from genuine volition or will.
Words with a similar meaning
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