Definition of WILL

will

Plural: wills

Noun

  • the capability of conscious choice and decision and intention; - George Meredith
  • a fixed and persistent intent or purpose
    • "where there's a will there's a way"
  • a legal document declaring a person's wishes regarding the disposal of their property when they die
  • One's independent faculty of choice; the ability to be able to exercise one's choice or intention.
  • The act of choosing to do something; a person’s conscious intent or volition.
  • One's intention or decision; someone's orders or commands.
  • Firmity of purpose, fixity of intent
  • A formal declaration of one's intent concerning the disposal of one's property and holdings after death; the legal document stating such wishes.
  • That which is desired; one's wish.
  • Desire, longing. (Now generally merged with later senses.)

Verb

Verb Forms: willed, willing, wills, would, wouldest, wouldst

  • Used as an auxiliary to express future tense, inclination, or likelihood.
  • To decide upon or decree something.
  • decree or ordain
    • "God wills our existence"
  • determine by choice
    • "This action was willed and intended"
  • leave or give by will after one's death
  • Used to express the future tense, sometimes with an implication of volition or determination when used in the first person. Compare shall.
  • To be able to, to have the capacity to.
  • Expressing a present tense or perfect tense with some conditional or subjective weakening: "will turn out to", "must by inference".
  • To habitually do (a given action).
  • To choose or agree to (do something); used to express intention but without any temporal connotations, often in questions and negation.
  • To wish, desire (something).
  • To wish or desire (that something happen); to intend (that).
  • Implying will go.
  • To instruct (that something be done) in one's will.
  • To bequeath (something) to someone in one's will (legal document).
  • To exert one's force of will (intention) in order to compel, or attempt to compel, something to happen or someone to do something.

Examples

  • All the fans were willing their team to win the game.
  • Boys will be boys.
  • Can somebody lend me a hand? ~ I will.
  • Consider, if you will, the possibility that the sherry glasses were misplaced accidentally.
  • Dad, will you take me to the park? Will you, please? - Will you be quiet! I'm on the phone.
  • Do not forget, will you?
  • Do what you will.
  • Eventually I submitted to my parents' will.
  • God willed it.
  • He felt a great will to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
  • He will be home by now. He always gets home before 6 o'clock.
  • He willed his stamp collection to the local museum.
  • He willed the game to be over, as his opponent was taking too long.
  • I can't find my umbrella. I will've left it at home this morning.
  • I will fall in love with the wrong women time and again.
  • I'll hold that for you, shall I?
  • I'm going to quit smoking. I really will!
  • If you will come this way, I’ll show you your bedroom.
  • If your sis won’t be here on Thu, we’d better cancel the booking. - I will pray that she arrives on time.
  • I’ll kill anybody who touches my car.
  • I’ve told him three times, but he won’t take his medicine.
  • Most creatures have a will to live.
  • Most nights I'll read a little before going to sleep.
  • Of course, man's will is often regulated by his reason.
  • People will talk.
  • She knew she will win this Words With Friends match with her last seven-letter word.
  • That'll be £69.99, please. Last for ever this pair of jeans sure will.
  • The baby will surely have green eyes, because both parents have.
  • The President will arrive at 10.00 - Will she be wanting lunch?
  • The shapes of clouds will often remind us of animals.
  • This breakthrough will mean that we spend less on the electricity bill.
  • Unfortunately, only one of these gloves will actually fit over my hand.
  • We'll finish ours sooner than you (do/will).
  • What will you drink?
  • Will you be doing the shopping this evening? If so, will you do mine too, please?
  • Will you marry me?
  • Won't you have another glass of wine? No, I think I’ll go to bed.

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English willen, wullen, wollen, from Old English willan (“to want”), from Proto-West Germanic *willjan, from Proto-Germanic *wiljaną, from Proto-Indo-European *welh₁- (“to choose, wish”).
Cognate with Dutch willen, Low German willen, German wollen, Swedish and Norwegian Nynorsk vilja, Norwegian Bokmål ville, Latin velle (“wish”, verb), Latin volo, French vouloir, Italian volere, Ukrainian воля (volja, “freedom, liberty, will”), Ukrainian вільний (vilʹnyj, “free”), Ukrainian воліти (volity, “to will, to prefer”), Ukrainian веліти (velity, “to will, to order, to command”) and Albanian vel (“to satisfy, be stuffed”). The verb is not always distinguishable from Etymology 3, below.

Synonyms

bequeath, leave, testament, volition, determination, firmness, last will, last will and testament, resoluteness, resolve

Antonyms

disinherit

Scrabble Score: 7

will: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
will: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
will: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 9

will: valid Words With Friends Word