volition

volition — noun

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

1.名詞B2
釋義

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

例句

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.

同義詞
  • 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

反義詞
  • coercion

    being forced to act against one's will

  • compulsion

    an irresistible urge that bypasses conscious choice

文法句型

possessive + volition

of one's own volition

用法筆記

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.

常見錯誤

❌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.名詞C1
釋義

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

例句

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.

同義詞
  • 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

文法句型

a + adjective + volition

用法筆記

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'.

常見錯誤

❌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.