abulia

See also: abulią

English

Alternative forms

• aboulia

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *né

Proto-Indo-European *n̥-

Proto-Hellenic *ə-

Ancient Greek ἀ- (a-)

Ancient Greek βούλομαι (boúlomai)

Proto-Indo-European *-h₂

Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂

Proto-Hellenic *-ā́

Ancient Greek -ᾱ (-ā)

Ancient Greek -η (-ē)

Ancient Greek βουλή (boulḗ)

Proto-Indo-European *-h₂

Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂

Proto-Indo-European *-i-eh₂

Proto-Hellenic *-íā

Ancient Greek -ῐ́ᾱ (-ĭ́ā)

Ancient Greek ἀβουλία (aboulía)bor.

New Latin abūliabor.

English abulia

From New Latin abūlia, from Ancient Greek ἀβουλία (aboulía, “irresolution”), from ἀ- (a-, “without”) + βουλή (boulḗ, “will”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /əˈb(j)uː.lɪə/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /əˈbu.li.ə/, [əˈbu.ljə]
• Rhymes: -uːliə

Noun

abulia (countable and uncountable, plural abulias)

2. (psychiatry) Absence of willpower or decisiveness, especially as a symptom of mental illness. [from 19th c.]
   • 1969, John Fowles, The French Lieutenant's Woman:

     He felt without volition, plunged into a state of aboulia.

   • 1990, Camille Paglia, Sexual Personae:

     His virginal modesty is a modern abulia.

Derived terms

• abulic

Translations

absence of will-power or decisiveness

• Bulgarian: безволевост (bezvolevost)
• Catalan: abúlia (ca) f
• Czech: abulie f
• Dutch: willoosheid (nl)
• Finnish: abulia, tahdottomuus
• French: aboulie (fr) f
• German: Abulie (de) f, Entschlussunfähigkeit f
• Greek: αβουλία (el) (avoulía)
• Ido: abulio (io)
• Irish: abúile f
• Italian: abulia (it) f
• Japanese: 意志欠乏 (いし けつぼう, ishi ketsubō)
• Polish: abulia (pl) f
• Portuguese: abulia (pt) f
• Romanian: abulie (ro) f
• Russian: абули́я (ru) f (abulíja)
• Spanish: abulia (es) f

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Vietnamese: ^{(please verify)} chứng mất ý chí

Anagrams

• Labiau

Finnish

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ἀβουλία (aboulía, “irresolution”), from ἀ- (a-, “without”) + βουλή (boulḗ, “will”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɑbuliɑ/, [ˈɑ̝buˌliɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -iɑ
• Syllabification^(key): a‧bu‧li‧a
• Hyphenation^(key): abu‧lia

Noun

abulia

2. abulia

   Synonyms: tahdottomuus, (rare) tahdonheikkous

Declension

Inflection of abulia (Kotus type 12/kulkija, no gradation)
nominative		abulia	abuliat
genitive		abulian	abulioiden abulioitten
partitive		abuliaa	abulioita
illative		abuliaan	abulioihin
		singular	plural
nominative		abulia	abuliat
accusative	nom.	abulia	abuliat
	gen.	abulian
genitive		abulian	abulioiden abulioitten abuliain rare
partitive		abuliaa	abulioita
inessive		abuliassa	abulioissa
elative		abuliasta	abulioista
illative		abuliaan	abulioihin
adessive		abulialla	abulioilla
ablative		abulialta	abulioilta
allative		abulialle	abulioille
essive		abuliana	abulioina
translative		abuliaksi	abulioiksi
abessive		abuliatta	abulioitta
instructive		—	abulioin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of abulia (Kotus type 12/kulkija, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative abuliani abuliani accusative nom. abuliani abuliani gen. abuliani genitive abuliani abulioideni abulioitteni abuliaini rare partitive abuliaani abulioitani inessive abuliassani abulioissani elative abuliastani abulioistani illative abuliaani abulioihini adessive abuliallani abulioillani ablative abulialtani abulioiltani allative abulialleni abulioilleni essive abulianani abulioinani translative abuliakseni abulioikseni abessive abuliattani abulioittani instructive — — comitative — abulioineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative abuliasi abuliasi accusative nom. abuliasi abuliasi gen. abuliasi genitive abuliasi abulioidesi abulioittesi abuliaisi rare partitive abuliaasi abulioitasi inessive abuliassasi abulioissasi elative abuliastasi abulioistasi illative abuliaasi abulioihisi adessive abuliallasi abulioillasi ablative abulialtasi abulioiltasi allative abuliallesi abulioillesi essive abulianasi abulioinasi translative abuliaksesi abulioiksesi abessive abuliattasi abulioittasi instructive — — comitative — abulioinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative abuliamme abuliamme accusative nom. abuliamme abuliamme gen. abuliamme genitive abuliamme abulioidemme abulioittemme abuliaimme rare partitive abuliaamme abulioitamme inessive abuliassamme abulioissamme elative abuliastamme abulioistamme illative abuliaamme abulioihimme adessive abuliallamme abulioillamme ablative abulialtamme abulioiltamme allative abuliallemme abulioillemme essive abulianamme abulioinamme translative abuliaksemme abulioiksemme abessive abuliattamme abulioittamme instructive — — comitative — abulioinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative abulianne abulianne accusative nom. abulianne abulianne gen. abulianne genitive abulianne abulioidenne abulioittenne abuliainne rare partitive abuliaanne abulioitanne inessive abuliassanne abulioissanne elative abuliastanne abulioistanne illative abuliaanne abulioihinne adessive abuliallanne abulioillanne ablative abulialtanne abulioiltanne allative abuliallenne abulioillenne essive abuliananne abulioinanne translative abuliaksenne abulioiksenne abessive abuliattanne abulioittanne instructive — — comitative — abulioinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative abuliansa abuliansa accusative nom. abuliansa abuliansa gen. abuliansa genitive abuliansa abulioidensa abulioittensa abuliainsa rare partitive abuliaansa abulioitaan abulioitansa inessive abuliassaan abuliassansa abulioissaan abulioissansa elative abuliastaan abuliastansa abulioistaan abulioistansa illative abuliaansa abulioihinsa adessive abuliallaan abuliallansa abulioillaan abulioillansa ablative abulialtaan abulialtansa abulioiltaan abulioiltansa allative abulialleen abuliallensa abulioilleen abulioillensa essive abulianaan abulianansa abulioinaan abulioinansa translative abuliakseen abuliaksensa abulioikseen abulioiksensa abessive abuliattaan abuliattansa abulioittaan abulioittansa instructive — — comitative — abulioineen abulioinensa

Derived terms

• abulinen
• abuulinen

Italian

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from Ancient Greek ἀβουλία (aboulía).

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ia

• IPA^(key): /a.buˈli.a/
• Rhymes: -ia
• Hyphenation: a‧bu‧lì‧a

Noun

abulia f (plural abulie)

1. (psychiatry) abulia
2. apathy, idleness

Derived terms

• abulico

Latin

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *né

Proto-Indo-European *n̥-

Proto-Hellenic *ə-

Ancient Greek ἀ- (a-)

Ancient Greek βούλομαι (boúlomai)

Proto-Indo-European *-h₂

Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂

Proto-Hellenic *-ā́

Ancient Greek -ᾱ (-ā)

Ancient Greek -η (-ē)

Ancient Greek βουλή (boulḗ)

Proto-Indo-European *-h₂

Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂

Proto-Indo-European *-i-eh₂

Proto-Hellenic *-íā

Ancient Greek -ῐ́ᾱ (-ĭ́ā)

Ancient Greek ἀβουλία (aboulía)bor.

Latin abūlia

Borrowed from Ancient Greek ἀβουλία (aboulía).

Noun

abūlia f sg (genitive abūliae); first declension

1. (New Latin, psychiatry) abulia
   • 1841, Johann Christian August Heinroth, Meletemata psychiatrica II. De formis amentiae, page 11:

     Qui contra melancholia affecti sunt, et paranoia fixa et abulia, in his contraria ratio habenda est: summa nimirum lenitas, et affabilitas, et amicabilitas iis adhibenda.

     As for those who are affected by melancholia, and fixed paranoia and abulia, the contrary method is to be employed in these cases: the greatest gentleness, and affability, and amiableness should of course be applied to them.

Declension

First-declension noun, singular only.

	singular
nominative	abūlia
genitive	abūliae
dative	abūliae
accusative	abūliam
ablative	abūliā
vocative	abūlia

Polish

Alternative forms

• abulja (pre-reform orthography (1936))

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *né

Proto-Indo-European *n̥-

Proto-Hellenic *ə-

Ancient Greek ἀ- (a-)

Ancient Greek βούλομαι (boúlomai)

Proto-Indo-European *-h₂

Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂

Proto-Hellenic *-ā́

Ancient Greek -ᾱ (-ā)

Ancient Greek -η (-ē)

Ancient Greek βουλή (boulḗ)

Proto-Indo-European *-h₂

Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂

Proto-Indo-European *-i-eh₂

Proto-Hellenic *-íā

Ancient Greek -ῐ́ᾱ (-ĭ́ā)

Ancient Greek ἀβουλία (aboulía)lbor.

Polish abulia

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek ἀβουλία (aboulía). First attested in 1842.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aˈbu.lja/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ulja
• Syllabification: a‧bu‧lia

Noun

abulia f

1. (psychiatry) abulia

Declension

Declension of abulia

	singular
nominative	abulia
genitive	abulii
dative	abulii
accusative	abulię
instrumental	abulią
locative	abulii
vocative	abulio

Derived terms

adjective

• abuliczny

noun

• abulik

Further reading

• “abulia”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎^[2] (in Polish)
• J. Karłowicz, A. Kryński, W. Niedźwiedzki, editors (1900), “abulja”, in Słownik języka polskiego (in Polish), volume 1, Warsaw, page 4
• abulia in Narodowy Fotokorpus Języka Polskiego

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from French aboulie, from Ancient Greek ἀβουλία (aboulía). First attested in 1883.

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /a.buˈli.ɐ/

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ɐ.buˈli.ɐ/ [ɐ.βuˈli.ɐ]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ɐ.buˈli.ɐ/ [ɐ.βuˈli.ɐ]
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ɐ.buˈli.ɐ/

• Rhymes: -iɐ
• Hyphenation: a‧bu‧li‧a

Noun

abulia f (uncountable)

1. (psychiatry) abulia

Derived terms

• abúlico
• abulomania

Further reading

• “abulia”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “abulia”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Spanish

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *né

Proto-Indo-European *n̥-

Proto-Hellenic *ə-

Ancient Greek ἀ- (a-)

Ancient Greek βούλομαι (boúlomai)

Proto-Indo-European *-h₂

Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂

Proto-Hellenic *-ā́

Ancient Greek -ᾱ (-ā)

Ancient Greek -η (-ē)

Ancient Greek βουλή (boulḗ)

Proto-Indo-European *-h₂

Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂

Proto-Indo-European *-i-eh₂

Proto-Hellenic *-íā

Ancient Greek -ῐ́ᾱ (-ĭ́ā)

Ancient Greek ἀβουλία (aboulía)bor.

Spanish abulia

Borrowed from Ancient Greek ἀβουλία (aboulía).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aˈbulja/ [aˈβ̞u.lja]
• Rhymes: -ulja
• Syllabification: a‧bu‧lia

Noun

abulia f (plural abulias)

1. (psychiatry) abulia

Related terms

• abúlico

Further reading

• “abulia”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025