Meanings
nounabulia (countable and uncountable, plural abulias)
plural abulias · alternative aboulia
- countableuncountablehuman sciencesAbsence of willpower or decisiveness, especially as a symptom of mental illness.First known use 19th c.
His virginal modesty is a modern abulia.
1990, Camille Paglia, Sexual Personae1 more example
He felt without volition, plunged into a state of aboulia.
1969, John Fowles, The French Lieutenant's Woman
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*né
- Proto-Indo-European*n̥-
- Proto-Hellenic*ə-
- Ancient Greekἀ- (a-)
- Ancient Greekβούλομαι (boúlomai)
- Ancient Greekβουλή (boulḗ)
- Ancient Greekἀβουλία (aboulía)
- New Latinabūlia
- Englishabulia
From New Latin abūlia, from Ancient Greek ἀβουλία (aboulía, “irresolution”), from ἀ- (a-, “without”) + βουλή (boulḗ, “will”).
More words from New Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian безволевост
- безволевост (bezvolevost)absence of will-power or decisiveness
Catalan abúlia
- abúliaabsence of will-power or decisiveness
Czech abulie
- abulieabsence of will-power or decisiveness
Dutch willoosheid
- willoosheidabsence of will-power or decisiveness
Finnish abulia, tahdottomuus
- abuliaabsence of will-power or decisiveness
- tahdottomuusabsence of will-power or decisiveness
French aboulie
- aboulieabsence of will-power or decisiveness
German Abulie, Entschlussunfähigkeit
- Abulieabsence of will-power or decisiveness
- Entschlussunfähigkeitabsence of will-power or decisiveness
Greek αβουλία
- αβουλία (avoulía)absence of will-power or decisiveness
Irish abúile
- abúileabsence of will-power or decisiveness
Italian abulia
- abuliaabsence of will-power or decisiveness
Japanese 意志欠乏
- 意志欠乏 (ishi ketsubō)absence of will-power or decisiveness
Polish abulia
- abuliaabsence of will-power or decisiveness
Portuguese abulia
- abuliaabsence of will-power or decisiveness
Romanian abulie
- abulieabsence of will-power or decisiveness
Russian абули́я
- абули́я (abulíja)absence of will-power or decisiveness
Spanish abulia
- abuliaabsence of will-power or decisiveness
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with abulia
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
abulia. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/abulia
MLA
“abulia.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/abulia. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “abulia,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/abulia.
Source: abulia on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.