volition
n.n. the power or ability to make a choice. It is the mental ability to decide what you want to do.
n. the capacity to make a choice or exercise free will. Often used in philosophical or psychological contexts to describe the internal mechanism of decision-making.
The patient showed no sign of volition.
In many legal systems, a person must demonstrate volition to be considered responsible for their actions.
The philosopher argued that true moral responsibility requires not just knowledge of the consequences, but also the volition to act despite those consequences.
From French volition, from Medieval Latin volitiō (“will, volition”), from Latin volō (“to wish; to want; to mean or intend”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European welh₁- (“to choose; to want”)) + -tiō (suffix forming nouns relating to some action or the result of an action) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European -tis (suffix forming abstract or action nouns from verbs)).