Willpower
/ˈwɪl.paʊ.ər/noun
The ability to control your actions and impulses through determination.
Did you know?In English, the word combines a very old Germanic idea of deliberate desire with the everyday notion of power, making it a modern-sounding name for an ancient mental force.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wel-
“to wish, will, choose”
Old English
OE
willa
“desire, wish, intention”
Old English
OE
miht
“power, ability”
Middle English
English
wil + power
“desire combined with strength or capacity”
Modern English
English
willpower
“self-control; mental determination”