vŏluntas, ātis, f. [1. volo], will, freewill, wish, choice, desire, inclination.
I Lit.
A In gen.: simul objecta species cujuspiam est, quod bonum videatur, ad id adipiscendum impellit ipsa natura: id cum constanter prudenterque fit, ejusmodi appetitionem Stoici βούλησιν appellant, nos appellamus voluntatem: eam illi putant in solo esse sapiente, quam sic definiunt: Voluntas est, quae quid cum ratione desiderat: quae autem adversus rationem incitata est vehementius, ea libido est vel cupiditas effrenata, quae in omnibus stultis invenitur, Cic. Tusc. 4, 6, 12; id. Rep. 1, 2, 3: talis est quaeque res publica, qualis ejus aut natura aut voluntas, qui illam regit, id. ib. 1, 31, 47: judicium voluntasque multitudinis, id. ib. 1, 45, 69: mentem voluntatemque suscipere, id. Cat. 3, 9, 22: quid esset suae voluntatis ostendere, Caes. B. C. 3, 109: has patitur poenas peccandi sola voluntas, Juv. 13, 208: sit pro ratione voluntas, id. 6, 223.— Plur. : ut ejus semper voluntatibus non modo cives assenserint, etc., Cic. Imp. Pomp. 16, 48.—
2 Adverbial phrases.
a Suā (alicujus) voluntate, or simply voluntate, of one's own will , of one's own accord , willingly , voluntarily (cf.: sponte, ultro), Ter. Phorm. 785: ut verum esset, suā voluntate sapientem descendere, etc., Cic. Rep. 1, 6, 11: suā voluntate, nullā vi coactus, id. Fin. 2, 20, 65: dictus filius tuos vostrā voluntate, Ter. Heaut. 1025: tu coactus es tuā voluntate, id. And. 657: istuc, quod expetis, meā voluntate concedam, Cic. Div. in Caecil. 9, 27: reditus in patriam voluntate omnium concedi videretur, id. Fam. 13, 5, 2.—Alone: nisi voluntate ibis, rapiam te domum, Plaut. Mil. 2, 5, 40: quod jus vos cogit, id voluntate impetret, Ter. Ad. 490: aequius erat id voluntate fieri, Cic. Off. 1, 9, 28: aliae civitates voluntate in ditionem venerunt, Liv. 29, 38, 1.—
b Ad voluntatem, de, ex voluntate, according to the will , with the consent , at the desire of any one: ad voluntatem loqui, at the will of another , Cic. Quint. 30, 93; id. Par. 5, 2, 39: vultus et sermo ad aliorum sensum et voluntatem commutandus, Q. Cic. Petit. Cons. 11, 42: vix tamen sibi de meā voluntate concessum est, id. Att. 4, 2, 4: illud accidit praeter optatum meum, sed valde ex voluntate, id. Pis. 20, 46: ex Caesaris voluntate, id. Fam. 13, 29, 7; cf.: praeter legem et sui voluntatem patris studeat, etc., Ter. And. 880.—
B In partic.
1 Disposition towards a person or thing, good or bad: erratis, si senatum probare ea ... putatis, populum autem esse in aliā voluntate, Cic. Agr. 1, 9, 27: offensā in eum militum voluntate, Nep. Dion, 8, 3: celans, quā voluntate esset in regem, id. Dat. 5, 5: legati, qui de ejus voluntate explorarent, id. Hann. 2, 2.—And with bona: neque bonae voluntatis ullum signum erga nos tyranni habemus, Liv. 38, 14, 7: quid nunc mihi prodest bona voluntas, Sen. Ben. 4, 21, 6; 5, 3, 2; 5, 4, 1; id. Ep. 81, 8: non nudum cum bonā voluntate, sed cum facultatibus accedere ad patriae auxilium, Planc. ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 8, 2. —
2 More freq. voluntas alone = bona voluntas, good-will , favor , affection (syn. benignitas): voluntas erga Caesarem, Cic. Q. Fr. 3, 1, 6, § 20; Caes. B. C. 2, 17: summa in se (with summum studium), id. B. G. 1, 19: mutua, Cic. Fam. 5, 2, 1: aliena a te, id. Lig. 2, 6: voluntas vestra si ad poëtam accesserit, Ter. Phorm. 29: singularis voluntas Campanae vicinitatis, Cic. Rab. Perd. 3, 8: mansisset eadem voluntas in eorum posteris, etc., id. Rep. 1, 41, 64. —
3 A last will , testament : defensio testamentorum ac voluntatis mortuorum, Cic. de Or. 1, 57, 242; Plin. Ep. 2, 16, 2; 4, 10, 3; 5, 7, 2; Tac. H. 1, 48; Amm. 21, 15, 5; 28, 1, 35; 28, 4, 22; called also ultima, Dig. 35, 1, 6; cf.: per testamentum aut per aliam quamlibet ultimam voluntatem, other expression of his will , Just. Inst. 1, 5, 1.—
4 An object , purpose : cum sint in dicendo variae voluntates, Cic. Brut. 21, 83; cf.: quantam voluntatem habent ad hunc opprimendum, id. Font. 18, 40 (14, 30).—
II Transf. (acc. to 1. volo, I. E. 4. b.), of speech, meaning , sense , signification , import (only post-Aug.; esp. freq. in Quint.; syn. vis): verbis legum standum sit an voluntate, Quint. 7, 10, 6; so (opp. verba) id. 7, 1, 49; 7, 5, 4; cf.: quaestio juris omnis aut verborum proprietate aut voluntatis conjectura continetur, id. 12, 2, 19; 6, 2, 9: verborum vi aut voluntate, id. 8, praef. 10: legis, id. 3, 6, 99: nominis, id. 7, 10, 1.