will

¹ American  

[wil] / wɪl /

auxiliary verb

imperative, infinitive, and present participle lacking.

present singular 1st person

will,

2nd

will,

2nd

wilt,

3rd

will,

present plural

will,

past singular 1st person

would,

2nd

would,

2nd

wouldst,

3rd

would,

past plural

would,

past participle

wold, would

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.

3. am (is, are, etc.) expected or required to.

   You will report to the principal at once.

4. may be expected or supposed to.

   You will not have forgotten him. This will be right.

5. am (is, are, etc.) determined or sure to (used emphatically).

   You would do it. People will talk.

6. 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.

7. am (is, are, etc.) habitually disposed or inclined to.

   Boys will be boys. After dinner they would read aloud.

8. am (is, are, etc.) capable of; can.

   This tree will live without water for three months.

9. am (is, are, etc.) going to.

   I will bid you “Good night.”

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verb (used with or without object)

imperative, infinitive, and present participle lacking.

present singular 1st person

will,

2nd

will,

2nd

wilt,

3rd

will,

present plural

will,

past singular 1st person

would,

2nd

would,

2nd

wouldst,

3rd

would,

past plural

would,

past participle

wold, would

1. to wish; desire; like.

   Go where you will.

   Ask, if you will, who the owner is.

will ² American  

[wil] / wɪl /

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.

3. the act or process of using or asserting one's choice; volition.

   My hands are obedient to my will.

   Synonyms:

   choice

4. wish or desire.

   We submit, but it's against our will.

   Synonyms:

   inclination, disposition, pleasure

5. purpose or determination that is often hearty or stubborn; willfulness.

   The first step is to have the will to succeed.

   Synonyms:

   resolution

6. the wish or purpose as carried out, or to be carried out.

   The queen will work her will.

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

8. Law.

   1. 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.

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

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verb (used with object)

willed, willing

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.

   Synonyms:

   determine

2. to purpose, determine on, or elect, by an act of the mind or consciousness.

   If he wills success, he can find it.

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

   Synonyms:

   leave

4. 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

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.

idioms

1. at will,

   1. at one's discretion or pleasure; as one desires.

      to wander at will through the countryside.

   2. at one's disposal or command.

Will ³ American  

[wil] / wɪl /

noun

1. a male given name, form of William.

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will ¹ British  

/ wɪl /

noun

1. the faculty of conscious and deliberate choice of action; volition

2. the act or an instance of asserting a choice

3. 1. the declaration of a person's wishes regarding the disposal of his or her property after death

   2. a revocable instrument by which such wishes are expressed

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

5. determined intention

   where there's a will there's a way

6. disposition or attitude towards others

   he bears you no ill will

7. at one's own desire, inclination, or choice

8. heartily; energetically

9. even with the best of intentions

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verb

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

3. (also intr) to order or decree

   the king wills that you shall die

4. to choose or prefer

   wander where you will

5. to yearn for or desire

   to will that one's friends be happy

will ² British  

/ wɪl /

verb

1. used as an auxiliary to make the future tense Compare shall

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

3. used as an auxiliary to indicate willingness or desire

   will you help me with this problem?

4. used as an auxiliary to express compulsion, as in commands

   you will report your findings to me tomorrow

5. used as an auxiliary to express capacity or ability

   this rope will support a load

6. used as an auxiliary to express probability or expectation on the part of the speaker

   that will be Jim telephoning

7. used as an auxiliary to express customary practice or inevitability

   boys will be boys

8. (with the infinitive always implied) used as an auxiliary to express desire: usually in polite requests

   stay if you will

9. whatever you like

10. informal a declaration of willingness to do what is requested

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will More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing will

• 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

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Commonly Confused

See shall.

Related Words

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

• willer noun

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

Example Sentences

Rather, it would be a gradual process over a few weeks.

From MarketWatch

For many in the crowd, it will be an item on their bucket list — that is, something they’ve convinced themselves they have to do before they kick the bucket.

From MarketWatch

And yet lawmakers will still have their work cut out for them when they’re back in Washington on Jan. 6.

From MarketWatch

In 2026 nine states will have no income tax on wages, and 14 will have a single rate for the individual income tax.

From The Wall Street Journal

“I want to make sure I’m not automatically excluding them from conversation because I assume I know what they would say or wouldn’t understand” his work.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• attitude
• character
• decision
• desire
• determination
• discipline
• feeling
• inclination
• intention
• mind
• passion
• power
• resolution
• resolve
• wish