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Volition vs Behest - What's the difference?

volition | behest |

As nouns the difference between volition and behest

is that volition is a conscious choice or decision while behest is a command, bidding; sometimes also, an authoritative request.

As a verb behest is

(obsolete) to promise; vow.

volition

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • A conscious choice or decision.
  • The mental power or ability of choosing; the will.
  • Out of all the factors that can influence a person's decision, none can match the power of his or her own volition .

    behest

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A command, bidding; sometimes also, an authoritative request.
  • * 1977 , , Penguin Classics, p. 278:
  • Paul did not dare pronounce, let matters rest, / His master having given him no behest .
  • * Sir Walter Scott
  • to do his master's high behest
  • * 2007 , Thomas Pynchon, Against the Day :
  • And young Mr. Fleetwood Vibe was here at the behest of his father, Wall Street eminence Scarsdale Vibe, who was effectively bankrolling the Expedition.
  • * 2009 , “What a waste”, The Economist , 15 Oct 2009:
  • the House of Representatives will try to water down even this feeble effort at the behest of the unions whose members enjoy some of the most lavish policies.
  • * 2011 , Owen Gibson, The Guardian , 24 Mar 2011:
  • The Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, is to meet with the BBC director general, Mark Thompson, at the behest of the Premier League in a bid to resolve their long-running feud.
  • A vow; a promise.
  • * Paston
  • The time is come that I should send it her, if I keep the behest that I have made.

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (obsolete) To promise; vow.
  • Anagrams

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