: the ability to control one's own actions, emotions, or urges
Alcoholics can't stop drinking through willpower alone: they need to alter behavior … that triggers the impulse to drink. James Atlas
I'm not talking about facing up to hard work or discipline, as if the problem were faulty willpower or a poor character. Patricia Hampl
also: strong determination that allows one to do something difficult
He [Nicolas Sarkozy] … brokered a huge trade deal with China and generally signaled that he could redefine his country through sheer willpower alone. Bruce Crumley
The dessert buffet tested my willpower. He conquered his drinking problem through sheer willpower.
Recent Examples on the WebWhat must ultimately follow are serious efforts to secure the island against a future Chinese attack, when, heretofore, the political willpower has been lacking. The Editors, National Review, 3 Aug. 2022 His execution of Brexit, after three years in which members of Parliament had attempted to annul the referendum to leave the European Union, was a master class in sheer political willpower. Gerard Baker, WSJ, 7 Feb. 2022 Accordingly, when asked what stops them from making healthy lifestyle changes, Americans commonly cite a lack of willpower.CNN, 29 Aug. 2022 Tech project managing is a dynamic field that requires a lot of willpower to deliver results. Expert Panel®, Forbes, 18 July 2022 Instead, some people view them mainly as the ongoing consequences of bad decisions or lack of willpower. Andrew Joseph, STAT, 22 June 2022 It’s that same level of willpower by Abercrombie that inspires people who know him to this day. Joseph Goodman | Jgoodman@al.com, al, 10 June 2022 Two years later, as the Supreme Court has eroded federal protections on all three, Ms. Chadwick now sees President Biden and other Democratic leaders as lacking both the imagination and willpower to fight back.New York Times, 14 July 2022 Additionally, research shows that trying to stick to a restrictive diet impairs willpower and emotional control, perhaps explaining why lots of people on stringent diets come off as grumpy and impatient.Outside Online, 22 Jan. 2021 See More