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will
1[ wil ]
auxiliary verb
- 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)
- to wish; desire; like:
Go where you will.
Ask, if you will, who the owner is.
will
2[ wil ]
noun
- 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.
- power in choosing one's own actions:
A major factor in success is whether you have 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.
Synonyms: choice
- 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.
- disposition, whether good or ill, toward another.
- 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)
- 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)
- to exercise the mind or conciousness:
To will is not enough, one must do.
- to decide or determine:
Others debate, but the king wills.
Will
3[ wil ]
noun
- a male given name, form of William.
will
1/ wɪl /
verb
- See shallesp withyou, he, she, it, they, or a noun as subject 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
- 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
- used as an auxiliary to express probability or expectation on the part of the speaker
that will be Jim telephoning
- 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
- what you willwhat you will whatever you like
- will do informal.will do a declaration of willingness to do what is requested
will
2/ wɪl /
noun
- the faculty of conscious and deliberate choice of action; volition voluntaryvolitive
- 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 testamentary
- 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
- disposition or attitude towards others
he bears you no ill will
- at willat will at one's own desire, inclination, or choice
- with a willwith a will heartily; energetically
- with the best will in the worldwith the best will in the world 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
- to give (property) by will to a person, society, etc
he willed his art collection to the nation
- also intr to order or decree
the king wills that you shall die
- to choose or prefer
wander where you will
- to yearn for or desire
to will that one's friends be happy
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Usage
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Confusables Note
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Derived Forms
- ˈwiller, noun
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Other Words From
- willer noun
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Word History and Origins
Origin of will1
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Word History and Origins
Origin of will1
Origin of will2
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Idioms and Phrases
- at will,
- at one's discretion or pleasure; as one desires:
to wander at will through the countryside.
- at one's disposal or command.
More idioms and phrases containing will
In addition to the idiom beginning with will , 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 .Discover More
Synonym Study
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Example Sentences
And more I cannot explain/but you, from what I did not say/will infer what I do not say.
Behind that coming-of-age innocence and strong-will of Swift is an intense artistic decision.
Kerry tweeted August 20 that “ISIL must be destroyed/will be crushed.”
Oh does she deserve this nomination, and maybe even this award with her stellar aftermath-of-Will grief work.
When I get older losing my hair/Many years from now/Will you still be sending me a valentine/Birthday greetings, bottle of wine?
And with some expressions of mutual good-will and interest, master and man separated.
Sleek finds it far harder work than fortune-making; but he pursues his Will-o'-the-Wisp with untiring energy.
For this use of the voice in the special service of will-power, or propelling force, it is necessary first to test its freedom.
The Marshals were inclined to attribute their disgrace to the ill-will of Berthier and not to the temper of Napoleon.
Gilbert was one of those petted individuals who carry the good-will of others by storm.
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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.
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