Velleity
A velleity is a wish so faint it never turns into any attempt to act on it.
Full definition of Velleity →:: COMPARE ::
VelleityvsVolition
The short answer
Volition is will that moves the body. Velleity is will that never leaves the chair. They're the same faculty measured at opposite ends — which is why Locke could call velleity simply the lowest degree of desire rather than a different thing entirely.
Side by side
| Aspect | Velleity | Volition |
|---|---|---|
| Produces action | No | Yes |
| Locke's phrase | Lowest degree of desire | — |
| Can be deferred | Nothing to defer | Yes |
| Same faculty | Yes | Yes |
What each one means
Volition
The contrast above sets out how Volition differs from Velleity on the points that actually matter.