Willpower

n.resilient, capableeveryday

What it means

Deliberate self-control used to resist an impulse or persist toward a chosen goal.

Reach for it when praising effortful control while recognizing that conditions and support shape behavior

He used willpower to stop after one painful repetition and follow the recovery plan.

playful
grit
when long effort through difficulty deserves an informal label
not when Grit language can glorify harmful persistence and ignore missing support.
everyday
determination
when refusal to give up is the simple praise
not when Determination can persist without resisting a competing impulse.
warm
staying power
when capacity to continue over time matters
not when Staying power concerns endurance, not control over a particular urge.
professional
discipline
when repeated habits and structure sustain progress
not when Discipline includes systems and practice, while willpower is effort in the moment.
professional
self-control
when regulation of an immediate impulse is central
not when Self-control can be habitual and does not necessarily involve pursuing a longer goal.
formal
resolve
when a considered decision remains firm
not when Resolve is commitment, not the moment-to-moment control needed to follow it.
formal
restraint
when choosing not to act is the visible achievement
not when Restraint is the behavior and says little about the inner effort behind it.
formal
volition
when conscious choice is the philosophical or technical subject
not when Volition is neutral capacity and does not imply strong control.

sheer willpower
Sheer willpower got him through the hour, but support made recovery sustainable.
exercise willpower
It takes less effort to exercise willpower when the safer choice is accessible.
test of willpower
The fast was a test of willpower, not a measure of anyone's worth.

Willpower is not a substitute for treatment, rest, accessible design, adequate income, or other structural support.

The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.