velléité

Borrowed from Medieval Latin velleitātem, from velle (“to will”).

• IPA^(key): /vɛ.le.i.te/ ~ /ve.le.i.te/

• Audio:

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velléité f (plural velléités)

1. velleity (weak or vacillating desire to do something)
2. (figurative) hint (weak form of something)

   une velléité de sourire ― a hint of a smile

• velléitaire (“weak-willed”)

• → German: Velleität

• “velléité”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.