will

[ wil ]

/ wɪl /

SEE MORE 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.

am (is, are, etc.) about or going to: I will be there tomorrow. She will see you at dinner.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

to wish; desire; like: Go where you will. Ask, if you will, who the owner is.

Nearby words

wilkins, roy, wilkins, sir george hubert, wilkinsburg, wilkinson, wilkinson, james, will, will contest, will not hear of, will to power, will-call, will-less

Origin of will

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

Can be confusedcan may shall will (see usage note at can¹) (see usage note at shall)

Usage note

See shall.

Definition for will (2 of 4)

will

[ wil ]

/ wɪl /

noun

the faculty of conscious and especially of deliberate action; the power of control the mind has over its own actions: the freedom of the will.

power of choosing one's own actions: to have a strong or a weak will.

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

wish or desire: to submit against one's will.

purpose or determination, often hearty or stubborn determination; willfulness: to have the will to succeed.

the wish or purpose as carried out, or to be carried out: to work one's will.

disposition, whether good or ill, toward another.

Law.

a legal declaration of a person's wishes as to the disposition of his or her property or estate after death, usually written and signed by the testator and attested by witnesses.
the document containing such a declaration.

verb (used with object), willed, will·ing.

to decide, bring about, or attempt to effect or bring about by an act of the will: He can walk if he wills it.

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

to give or dispose of (property) by a will or testament; bequeath or devise.

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.

to exercise the will: To will is not enough, one must do.

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

Origin of will

before 900; (noun) Middle English will(e), Old English will(a); cognate with Dutch wil, German Wille, Old Norse vili, Gothic wilja; (v.) Middle English willen, Old English willian to wish, desire, derivative of the noun; akin to will¹

SYNONYMS FOR will

3 choice.

4 pleasure, disposition, inclination.

5 resolution, decision. 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.

9 determine.

11 leave.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR will ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formswill·er, noun

Definition for will (3 of 4)

Will

[ wil ]

/ wɪl /

noun

a male given name, form of William.

Definition for will (4 of 4)

Irwin

[ ur-win ]

/ ˈɜr wɪn /

noun

Wallace,1875–1959, U.S. journalist and humorist.

his brotherWilliam HenryWill, 1873–1948, U.S. novelist, short-story writer, and journalist.

a male given name.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for will (1 of 3)

will

/ (wɪl) /

verb past would (takes an infinitive without to or an implied infinitive)

(esp with you, he, she, it, they, or a noun as subject) used as an auxiliary to make the future tenseCompare shall (def. 1)

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

used as an auxiliary to indicate willingness or desirewill you help me with this problem?

used as an auxiliary to express compulsion, as in commandsyou will report your findings to me tomorrow

used as an auxiliary to express capacity or abilitythis rope will support a load

used as an auxiliary to express probability or expectation on the part of the speakerthat will be Jim telephoning

used as an auxiliary to express customary practice or inevitabilityboys will be boys

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

what you will whatever you like

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

Word Origin for will

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

xref

See shall

British Dictionary definitions for will (2 of 3)

will

/ (wɪl) /

noun

the faculty of conscious and deliberate choice of action; volitionRelated adjectives: voluntary, volitive

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 deathRelated adjective: testamentary
a revocable instrument by which such wishes are expressed

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

determined intentionwhere there's a will there's a way

disposition or attitude towards othershe bears you no ill will

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

with a will heartily; energetically

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)

(also intr) to exercise the faculty of volition in an attempt to accomplish (something)he willed his wife's recovery from her illness

to give (property) by will to a person, society, etche willed his art collection to the nation

(also intr) to order or decreethe king wills that you shall die

to choose or preferwander where you will

to yearn for or desireto will that one's friends be happy

Derived Formswiller, noun

Word Origin for will

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

British Dictionary definitions for will (3 of 3)

Irwin

/ (ˈɛːwɪn) /

noun

Steve, full name Stephen Robert Irwin, known as 'The Crocodile Hunter'. 1962–2006, Australian zoologist, environmentalist and maker of television wildlife documentaries; died following wounding by a stingray

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

Word Origin and History for will (1 of 3)

will

Old English *willan, wyllan "to wish, desire, want" (past tense wolde), from Proto-Germanic *welljan (cf. Old Saxon willian, Old Norse vilja, Old Frisian willa, Dutch willen, Old High German wellan, German wollen, Gothic wiljan "to will, wish, desire," Gothic waljan "to choose"). The Germanic words are from PIE *wel-/*wol- "be pleasing" (cf. Sanskrit vrnoti "chooses, prefers," varyah "to be chosen, eligible, excellent," varanam "choosing;" Avestan verenav- "to wish, will, choose;" Greek elpis "hope;" Latin volo, velle "to wish, will, desire;" Old Church Slavonic voljo, voliti "to will," veljo, veleti "to command;" Lithuanian velyti "to wish, favor," pa-vel-mi "I will," viliuos "I hope;" Welsh gwell "better").

Cf. also Old English wel "well," literally "according to one's wish;" wela "well-being, riches." The use as a future auxiliary was already developing in Old English. The implication of intention or volition distinguishes it from shall, which expresses or implies obligation or necessity. Contracted forms, especially after pronouns, began to appear 16c., as in sheele for "she will." The form with an apostrophe is from 17c.

Word Origin and History for will (1 of 3)

will

Old English will, willa, from Proto-Germanic *weljon (cf. Old Saxon willio, Old Norse vili, Old Frisian willa, Dutch wil, Old High German willio, German wille, Gothic wilja "will"), related to *willan "to wish" (see will (v.)). The meaning "written document expressing a person's wishes about disposition of property after death" is first recorded late 14c.

Word Origin and History for will (2 of 3)

Irwin

masc. proper name, Old English Eoforwine "boar-friend;" often confused with Irving, Irvin, which are from Irvine, Ayrshire, or Irving, Dumfries.

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

will

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.

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of will

Usage note

Definition for will (2 of 4)

will

noun

verb (used with object), willed, will·ing.

verb (used without object), willed, will·ing.

Origin of will

Definition for will (3 of 4)

Will

noun

Definition for will (4 of 4)

Irwin

noun

British Dictionary definitions for will (1 of 3)

will

verb past would (takes an infinitive without to or an implied infinitive)

Word Origin for will

xref

British Dictionary definitions for will (2 of 3)

will

noun

verb (mainly tr; often takes a clause as object or an infinitive)

Word Origin for will

British Dictionary definitions for will (3 of 3)

Irwin

noun

Word Origin and History for will (1 of 3)

will

Word Origin and History for will (1 of 3)

will

Word Origin and History for will (2 of 3)

Irwin

Idioms and Phrases with will

will