means The act or power of making a conscious choice or decision by one's own will.

from From Latin *volo*, "I want" or "I wish" — the same restless root behind *voluntary*, *benevolent* (well-wishing), and even *voluptuous* (the wanting of pleasure). The noun form *volitio* was coined in Medieval Latin to name the will itself as a thing, and it slipped into English through French around the 17th century. So at its heart, volition is simply *wanting*, dressed up in a philosopher's robes.