意志
Meaning in Englishwill, volition, determination
Animated kanji stroke order
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Word context
What it means
意志 means 'will' or 'volition'—the internal drive to act in accordance with a decision or goal, reflecting a person's resolve and determination to pursue a course of action beyond mere desire.
Main meanings
- Personal will the drive to act toward a chosen goal, showing resolve and endurance
- Conscious intention behind actions, not a fleeting wish
- Formal or philosophical usage in psychology, ethics, or law to describe volition
How to use it
In formal writing and scholarly contexts, 意志 denotes personal volition and the act of choosing a course of action; in everyday speech it emphasizes inner resolve and can appear in phrases such as 意志を貫く, 意志が強い, and 自らの意志.
Variants and close terms
- 決意 — ketsui
- 意思 — ishi
- 志向 — shikou
- 志 — kokorozashi
Composition
- 意: mind, thought
- 志: will, intention
- combined meaning: the will or resolve that originates in the mind to act toward a goal
Etymology
From the kanji 意 and 志, read with on'yomi as イ and シ, forming a Sino-Japanese compound pronounced ishi (ishi).
Origin
The concept entered Japanese through Chinese writing and philosophical thought, with the characters appearing in classical texts and later integrating into Japanese psychology and law; in everyday usage it conveys a sense of inner resolve and determination.
Word class
noun (名詞)