will
auxiliary verb
am (is, are, etc.) about or going to.
will
1 American
[wil]
/ wɪl /
auxiliary verb
imperative, infinitive, and present participle lacking.
-
will,
present (3rd person singular)
-
would
past
-
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.
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am (is, are, etc.) expected or required to.
You will report to the principal at once.
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may be expected or supposed to.
You will not have forgotten him. This will be right.
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am (is, are, etc.) determined or sure to (used emphatically).
You would do it. People will talk.
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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.
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am (is, are, etc.) habitually disposed or inclined to.
Boys will be boys. After dinner they would read aloud.
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am (is, are, etc.) capable of; can.
This tree will live without water for three months.
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am (is, are, etc.) going to.
I will bid you “Good night.”
verb (used with or without object)
imperative, infinitive, and present participle lacking.
-
will,
present (3rd person singular)
-
would
past, past participle (Obsolete)
will
2
American
[wil]
/ wɪl /
noun
-
wills
plural
-
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.
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power in choosing one's own actions.
A major factor in success is whether you have have a strong or a weak will.
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the act or process of using or asserting one's choice; volition.
My hands are obedient to my will.
- Synonyms:
- choice
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wish or desire.
We submit, but it's against our will.
- Synonyms:
- inclination, disposition, pleasure
-
purpose or determination that is often hearty or stubborn; willfulness.
The first step is to have the will to succeed.
- Synonyms:
- resolution
-
the wish or purpose as carried out, or to be carried out.
The queen will work her will.
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disposition, whether good or ill, toward another.
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Law.
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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.
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the document containing a declaration of a person's wishes as to the disposition of their property.
-
verb (used with object)
willed,
willing
-
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.
- Synonyms:
- determine
-
to purpose, determine on, or elect, by an act of the mind or consciousness.
If he wills success, he can find it.
-
to give or dispose of (property) by a legal declaration or testament; bequeath or devise.
- Synonyms:
- leave
-
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,
willing
-
to exercise the mind or conciousness.
To will is not enough, one must do.
-
to decide or determine.
Others debate, but the king wills.
idioms
Will
3
American
[wil]
/ wɪl /
noun
will
1
British
/ wɪl /
noun
-
the faculty of conscious and deliberate choice of action; volition
-
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
-
a revocable instrument by which such wishes are expressed
-
-
anything decided upon or chosen, esp by a person in authority; desire; wish
-
determined intention
where there's a will there's a way
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disposition or attitude towards others
he bears you no ill will
-
at one's own desire, inclination, or choice
-
heartily; energetically
-
even with the best of intentions
verb
-
(also intr) to exercise the faculty of volition in an attempt to accomplish (something)
he willed his wife's recovery from her illness
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to give (property) by will to a person, society, etc
he willed his art collection to the nation
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(also intr) to order or decree
the king wills that you shall die
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to choose or prefer
wander where you will
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to yearn for or desire
to will that one's friends be happy
will
2
British
/ wɪl /
verb
-
used as an auxiliary to make the future tense Compare shall
-
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
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used as an auxiliary to indicate willingness or desire
will you help me with this problem?
-
used as an auxiliary to express compulsion, as in commands
you will report your findings to me tomorrow
-
used as an auxiliary to express capacity or ability
this rope will support a load
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used as an auxiliary to express probability or expectation on the part of the speaker
that will be Jim telephoning
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used as an auxiliary to express customary practice or inevitability
boys will be boys
-
(with the infinitive always implied) used as an auxiliary to express desire: usually in polite requests
stay if you will
-
whatever you like
-
informal a declaration of willingness to do what is requested
will
More Idioms
Commonly Confused
See shall.
Synonym Usage
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 Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
Past
Etymology
Origin of will1
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”
Origin of will2
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 will 1
Explanation
Will means to want or to choose. If you have free will, you are allowed to choose what you want. If you make a will, you've write down what you want to have happen to your money and your stuff. You may have heard the expression, "Where there's a will, there's a way." It means that if you want something enough, you'll find a way to make it happen. If you impose your will on someone else, you're making them do what you want, as opposed to what they want. If you are willful, you are impulsive and always do what you want. If you will something to happen, you try to make it happen just by the force of your wanting it to––you might will a car to keep running, even as the gas needle sits at empty.
Vocabulary lists containing will
Personal Finance and Financial Literacy - Introductory
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Personal Finance and Financial Literacy - High School
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Personal Finance and Financial Literacy - Middle School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
If confirmed, this weekend’s result will come as a blow for the EU, whose leaders are eager to show the 27-member bloc is still capable of absorbing new members after the U.K.’s 2020 exit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026
Sinner's absence and the uncertainty around Alcaraz's fitness will galvanise the rest of the chasing pack - particularly 39-year-old Novak Djokovic.
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026
He will be expected to hit the ground running, but he does have form against Premier League opposition.
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026
Keira recently finished her GCSEs and has been offered a place at Loughborough College in Leicestershire, where she will be part of the Diploma in Sporting Excellence programme.
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026
Hopefully, this will hide the lumpiness of the package.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
Parton wrote a lot of songs, but none pump through the American bloodstream like “I Will Always Love You.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026
Dolly Parton was initially thrilled when she heard Elvis Presley was interested in covering her 1974 hit “I Will Always Love You.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026
She went on to include it on her 1995 compilation, “I Will Always Love You: The Essential Dolly Parton One.”
From Salon ● Aug. 29, 2026
Will a Premier League club break record for transfer sales in one window?
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
Will looked at me and gave me a little nod.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
Our wills state that, after both of our deaths, these items are to be sold after our children have had the opportunity to address any sentimental belongings.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
Others think they have everything in place—estate plans, wills, and powers of attorney—so they’re all set.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
Robo advisers can’t handle nuanced financial planning, like tax-optimization strategies, estate planning or updating wills.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
Meanwhile, Amelia says she's now qualified as a will writer in the hope she can encourage her friends and family to take out wills.
From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026
Watching the battle of wills between Captain Smith and Chief Powhatan is like watching the dance of a sword fight between two proud, powerful men.
From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone
The government said previously that, had the referendum resulted in a “yes” vote, it would have held a second referendum once negotiations were complete on whether to join the bloc.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026
On Friday, Rodrigo announced that the festival would donate $10 million to an array of organizations working for women’s rights and reproductive justice.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2026
Moses Itauma was still a schoolboy when he would turn up at boxing gyms in his uniform and give seasoned professionals a hiding.
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026
RÚV said the vote count had been completed in all but one constituency and it would take “a major shake-up” in that constituency to change the overall result.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026
“So, you’re going into the mental health field. I would have never guessed that.”
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
He had willed it into existence in his characteristic way, fast and without faultfinding inspectors to impede his vision.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
He's very strong willed and that's his decision.
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026
On a night when his teammates struggled offensively, Brunson willed the Knicks to the series clinching victory, another gritty come-from-behind victory for a team that has made them a trademark.
From Barron's ● Jun. 14, 2026
Knowledge of current events, geography, and simple concepts like the law of supply and demand have been crowded out by willed ignorance and motivated reasoning.
From Salon ● Apr. 19, 2026
Koffi willed the words as she and Mama led Diko forward together.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
Today’s bride doesn’t need millions of followers on social media to find brands willing to help sponsor wedding costs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026
But no one in authority was willing to tell them.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
Having previously established contacts within the universe of Insta meme-makers, I messaged a few sloppypasta enthusiasts to see whether they might be willing to speak to their use of these captions.
From Slate ● Aug. 28, 2026
Even if we were willing to accept that Hig might deliberately crash his plane, we can’t buy for a second that he’d hurt his sweet pup.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
Despite everything, I am curious to see more of the place she was willing to give up the Ranch for.
From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
