Link Centre Dictionary

will

UK/wɪl/ US/wɪɫ/ very common literary
noun (3) verb (4)

noun

1.

the capability of conscious choice and decision and intention

  • “the exercise of their volition we construe as revolt” George Meredith
Synonyms
2.

a fixed and persistent intent or purpose

  • “where there”
  • “s a way”
3.

a legal document declaring a person''s wishes regarding the disposal of their property when they die

Synonyms

verb

1.

decree or ordain

  • “God wills our existence”
2.

have in mind

  • “I will take the exam tomorrow”
Synonyms
3.

determine by choice

  • “This action was willed and intended”
4.

leave or give by will after one''s death

  • “My aunt bequeathed me all her jewelry”
  • “My grandfather left me his entire estate”
Synonyms
Antonyms

Origin

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”). Cognates Cognate with Yola ill, weel, well, will, woul, wull (“will”), North Frisian wale, wel (“to want”), Saterland Frisian and West Frisian wolle (“to want”), Alemannic German and Central Franconian welle (“to want”), Cimbrian béllan, bölln (“to want”), Dutch willen (“to want”), German wollen (“to want”), Low German wüllen (“to want; will”), Luxembourgish wëllen (“to want”), Yiddish וועלן (veln, “to want”), Danish and Norwegian Bokmål ville (“to want”), Faroese, Icelandic, and Swedish vilja (“to want”), Jamtish vili (“to want; wish”), Norwegian Nynorsk vilja, vilje (“want; will”), Gothic 𐍅𐌹𐌻𐌾𐌰𐌽 (wiljan, “to want”); also Latin velle (“wish”, verb), voleō, volo (“to please, to wish; to want”), French vouloir (“to want”), Italian volere (“to want”), Irish fleá, fleadh (“feast”), Scottish Gaelic fleadh (“feast”), Welsh gwledd (“banquet, feast”), Lithuanian viltis (“to hope; to rely; to expect”), Czech velet (“to command”), volit (“to choose; to elect”), Polish woleć (“to prefer”), Ru...

Phrases

  • a drowning man will clutch at a straw
  • a hit dog will holler
  • accidents will happen
  • accidents will happen in the best regulated families
  • against someone's will
  • at will
  • bend someone's will
  • bend to one's will
  • bend to someone's will
  • boys will be boys
  • build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door
  • butter will not melt in someone's mouth

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

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Related verbs

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.