Word Games Pro Dictionary

will

verb noun

(now uncommon or literary) To wish, desire (something).

Quick reference

Word Facts

Word length
4
Starts with
W
Ends with
L
Contains
IL
Scrabble score
7

How it sounds

Pronunciation

/wɪl/ /wɪl/

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Audio Pronunciation

Audio pronunciation is unavailable for this word.

Meaning

Definitions

verb

  1. (now uncommon or literary) To wish, desire (something).

    “Do what you will.”

  2. (nowadays rare) To wish or desire (that something happen); to intend (that).

  3. (auxiliary) To habitually do (a given action).

  4. (auxiliary) To choose to (do something); used to express intention but without any temporal connotations (+ bare infinitive), often in negation.

    “I’ve told him three times, but he won’t take his medicine.”

  5. (auxiliary) Used to express the future tense, sometimes with some implication of volition when used in the first person. Compare shall.

  6. (auxiliary) To be able to, to have the capacity to.

    “Unfortunately, only one of these gloves will actually fit over my hand.”

  7. (auxiliary) Expressing a present tense with some conditional or subjective weakening: "will turn out to", "must by inference".

noun

  1. One's independent faculty of choice; the ability to be able to exercise one's choice or intention.

    “Of course, man's will is often regulated by his reason.”

  2. One's intention or decision; someone's orders or commands.

    “Eventually I submitted to my parents' will.”

  3. The act of choosing to do something; a person’s conscious intent or volition.

    “Most creatures have a will to live.”

  4. Law A formal declaration of one's intent concerning the disposal of one's property and holdings after death; the legal document stating such wishes.

  5. That which is desired; one's wish.

  6. Desire, longing. (Now generally merged with later senses.)

    “He felt a great will to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.”

verb

  1. To wish, desire.

  2. To instruct (that something be done) in one's will.

  3. To try to make (something) happen by using one's will (intention).

    “All the fans were willing their team to win the game.”

  4. To bequeath (something) to someone in one's will (legal document).

    “He willed his stamp collection to the local museum.”

In context

Example Sentences

Do what you will.
I’ve told him three times, but he won’t take his medicine.
Unfortunately, only one of these gloves will actually fit over my hand.
Of course, man's will is often regulated by his reason.
Eventually I submitted to my parents' will.
Most creatures have a will to live.
He felt a great will to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
All the fans were willing their team to win the game.
He willed his stamp collection to the local museum.

Similar words

Synonyms

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