will

1
[ wil ]
See synonyms for will on Thesaurus.com
auxiliary verb,present singular 1st person will,2nd will or (Archaic) wilt,3rd will,present plural will;past singular 1st person would,2nd would or (Archaic) wouldst,3rd would,past plural would;past participle (Obsolete) wold or would;imperative, infinitive, and present participle lacking.
  1. am (is, are, etc.) about or going to: I will be there tomorrow. She will see you at dinner.

  2. am (is, are, etc.) disposed or willing to: People will do right.

  1. am (is, are, etc.) expected or required to: You will report to the principal at once.

  2. may be expected or supposed to: You will not have forgotten him. This will be right.

  3. am (is, are, etc.) determined or sure to (used emphatically): You would do it. People will talk.

  4. am (is, are, etc.) accustomed to, or do usually or often: You will often see her sitting there. He would write for hours at a time.

  5. am (is, are, etc.) habitually disposed or inclined to: Boys will be boys. After dinner they would read aloud.

  6. am (is, are, etc.) capable of; can: This tree will live without water for three months.

  7. am (is, are, etc.) going to: I will bid you “Good night.”

verb (used with or without object),present singular 1st person will,2nd will or (Archaic) wilt,3rd will,present plural will;past singular 1st person would,2nd would or (Archaic) wouldst,3rd would,past plural would;past participle (Obsolete) wold or would;imperative, infinitive, and present participle lacking.
  1. to wish; desire; like: Go where you will.Ask, if you will, who the owner is.

Origin of will

1
First recorded before 900; Middle English willen, Old English wyllan; cognate with Dutch willen, German wollen, Old Norse vilja, Gothic wiljan; akin to Latin velle “to wish”

confusables note For will

See shall.

Words that may be confused with will

Other definitions for will (2 of 3)

will2
[ wil ]

noun
  1. the faculty of conscious and deliberate action; the power of control the mind has over one's actions: The teacher has chosen by her own will to create a whole new curriculum.

  2. power in choosing one's own actions: A major factor in success is whether you have have a strong or a weak will.

  1. the act or process of using or asserting one's choice; volition: My hands are obedient to my will.

  2. wish or desire: We submit, but it's against our will.

  3. purpose or determination that is often hearty or stubborn; willfulness: The first step is to have the will to succeed.

  4. the wish or purpose as carried out, or to be carried out: The queen will work her will.

  5. disposition, whether good or ill, toward another.

  6. Law.

    • a legal declaration of a person's wishes as to the disposition of their property or estate after death, usually written and signed by the testator and attested by witnesses.

    • the document containing a declaration of a person's wishes as to the disposition of their property.

verb (used with object),willed, will·ing.
  1. to decide, bring about, or attempt to effect or bring about by an act of the will: He can make it in this industry if he wills it.

  2. to purpose, determine on, or elect, by an act of the mind or consciousness: If he wills success, he can find it.

  1. to give or dispose of (property) by a legal declaration or testament; bequeath or devise.

  2. to influence by exerting control over someone's impulses and actions: She was willed to walk the tightrope by the hypnotist.

verb (used without object),willed, will·ing.
  1. to exercise the mind or conciousness: To will is not enough, one must do.

  2. to decide or determine: Others debate, but the king wills.

Origin of will

2
First recorded before 900; Middle English noun wil(le), Old English wil(l) “will, pleasure,” will(a) “faculty of willing, determination”; cognate with Dutch wil, German Wille, Old Norse vili, Gothic wilja; verb derivative of the noun; akin to will1

synonym study For will

5. Will, volition refer to conscious choice as to action or thought. Will denotes fixed and persistent intent or purpose: Where there's a will there's a way. Volition is the power of forming an intention or the incentive for using the will: to exercise one's volition in making a decision.

Other words for will

Other words from will

  • willer, noun

Other definitions for Will (3 of 3)

Will
[ wil ]

noun
  1. a male given name, form of William.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use will in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for will (1 of 2)

will1

/ (wɪl) /


verbpast would (takes an infinitive without to or an implied infinitive)
  1. (esp with you, he, she, it, they, or a noun as subject) used as an auxiliary to make the future tense: Compare shall (def. 1)

  2. used as an auxiliary to express resolution on the part of the speaker: I will buy that radio if it's the last thing I do

  1. used as an auxiliary to indicate willingness or desire: will you help me with this problem?

  2. used as an auxiliary to express compulsion, as in commands: you will report your findings to me tomorrow

  3. used as an auxiliary to express capacity or ability: this rope will support a load

  4. used as an auxiliary to express probability or expectation on the part of the speaker: that will be Jim telephoning

  5. used as an auxiliary to express customary practice or inevitability: boys will be boys

  6. (with the infinitive always implied) used as an auxiliary to express desire: usually in polite requests: stay if you will

  7. what you will whatever you like

  8. will do informal a declaration of willingness to do what is requested

Origin of will

1
Old English willan; related to Old Saxon willian, Old Norse vilja, Old High German wollen, Latin velle to wish, will

will

See shall

British Dictionary definitions for will (2 of 2)

will2

/ (wɪl) /


noun
  1. the faculty of conscious and deliberate choice of action; volition: Related adjectives: voluntary, volitive

  2. the act or an instance of asserting a choice

    • the declaration of a person's wishes regarding the disposal of his or her property after death: Related adjective: testamentary

    • a revocable instrument by which such wishes are expressed

  1. anything decided upon or chosen, esp by a person in authority; desire; wish

  2. determined intention: where there's a will there's a way

  3. disposition or attitude towards others: he bears you no ill will

  4. at will at one's own desire, inclination, or choice

  5. with a will heartily; energetically

  6. with the best will in the world even with the best of intentions

verb(mainly tr; often takes a clause as object or an infinitive)
  1. (also intr) to exercise the faculty of volition in an attempt to accomplish (something): he willed his wife's recovery from her illness

  2. to give (property) by will to a person, society, etc: he willed his art collection to the nation

  1. (also intr) to order or decree: the king wills that you shall die

  2. to choose or prefer: wander where you will

  3. to yearn for or desire: to will that one's friends be happy

Origin of will

2
Old English willa; related to Old Norse vili, Old High German willeo (German Wille), Gothic wilja, Old Slavonic volja

Derived forms of will

  • willer, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with will

will

In addition to the idiom beginning with will

  • will not hear of

also see:

  • against one's will
  • at will
  • boys will be boys
  • heads (will) roll
  • murder will out
  • of one's own accord (free will)
  • shit will hit the fan
  • that will do
  • time will tell
  • truth will out
  • when the cat's away, mice will play
  • where there's a will
  • with a will
  • with the best will in the world
  • wonders will never cease

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.