will
1[ wil ]
/ wɪl /
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.
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.
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Origin of will
1before 900; Middle English willen, Old English wyllan; cognate with Dutch willen, German wollen, Old Norse vilja, Gothic wiljan; akin to Latin velle to wish
usage note for will
See shall.
Words nearby will
Definition for will (2 of 4)
will2
[ wil ]
/ wɪl /
noun
verb (used with object), willed, will·ing.
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
2before 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.
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.
OTHER WORDS FROM will
will·er, nounDefinition for will (3 of 4)
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 UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
British Dictionary definitions for will (1 of 3)
will1
/ (wɪl) /
verb past would (takes an infinitive without to or an implied infinitive)
Word Origin for will
Old English willan; related to Old Saxon willian, Old Norse vilja, Old High German wollen, Latin velle to wish, will
undefined will
See shall
British Dictionary definitions for will (2 of 3)
will2
/ (wɪl) /
noun
verb (mainly tr; often takes a clause as object or an infinitive)
Derived forms of will
willer, nounWord 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
Idioms and Phrases with will
will
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.