Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun The strength of will to carry out one's decisions, wishes, or plans.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun The
unwavering strength ofwill tocarry out one’swishes .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun the trait of resolutely controlling your own behavior
Etymologies
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Examples
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The idea of exercising willpower is seen in military boot camp, where recruits are trained to overcome one challenge after another.
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I would argue that, in addition to diet and exercise, willpower is also required.
Could You Lose a Pound a Week to Save $500? A Guest Post - Freakonomics Blog - NYTimes.com 2008
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Indeed, any attempt to alter compulsive or addictive behaviour by willpower is not only doomed to failure, but highly-destructive to the psychological wellbeing of the client.
Dr. Sharma’s Obesity Notes » Blog Archive » Paying for Weight Loss? 2008
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Let's just say that willpower is not my strongest suit.
Archive 2007-09-01 katelnorth 2007
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Let's just say that willpower is not my strongest suit.
Lutradur and lace, plus stitching - and more, of course katelnorth 2007
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Little by little the more you display just a little willpower the more your short-term willpower increases.
Karen Salmansohn: The Positive Effects of A Bad Economy 2008
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Basically, every person has (1) short term willpower capability and (2) long term willpower capability.
Karen Salmansohn: The Positive Effects of A Bad Economy 2008
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But gradually, step by step, I got more willpower, so I think willpower is something you can grow.
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Re your second example, what conservatives believe is not in the effectiveness of 'willpower' -- that is actually a leftist belief, see, e.g., Nietzsche, darling of the left -- but in the essential goodness of Creation and humanity.
What Does Your Ideology Say About You?, Bryan Caplan | EconLog | Library of Economics and Liberty 2009
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... the conservative conceit that willpower is the crucial variable in making our national security policy work.
chrisjmartin commented on the word willpower
Willpower is a word my friends and I use to commemorate my friend, Will, who died when he was 12. The word has become a common phrase between me and my friends. <3 Willpower <3
November 14, 2011