noun
velleity
Velleity (noun) means a very weak wish, so faint that no one ever acts on it.
noun
1
A very weak wish, so faint that no one ever acts on it.
"This connoisseuse of “splendid weaknesses”, run not by any lust or even velleity but by vacuum: by the absence of human hope."
— Thomas Pynchon, Gravity's Rainbow (1973)
2
A mild wish for something that you make no attempt to get.
"The debate in the House of Lords would convert the impartial listener from any velleity towards single-chamber government."
— The Times, column A (1919)
"The difficulty of getting here prevented people from coming on a velleity."
— Neal Stephenson, The Diamond Age … (1995)
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Etymology
Comes from Medieval Latin velleitās, from Latin velle (“wish, will”).
Rhymes for velleity
See all rhymes for velleity →Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of velleity?
"velleity" (noun) means a very weak wish, so faint that no one ever acts on it.
What are the different meanings of velleity?
"velleity" has 2 main meanings: 1. A very weak wish, so faint that no one ever acts on it; 2. A mild wish for something that you make no attempt to get.
