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”), Russian во́ля (vólja, “freedom”), во́льный (vólʹnyj, “free”), веле́ть (velétʹ, “to command, to enjoin, to order”), Ukrainian воля (volja, “freedom, liberty, will”), вільний (vilʹnyj, “free”), веліти (velity, “to will, to order, to command”), воліти (volity, “to will, to prefer”), Old Armenian գեղձ (gełj, “desire, wish”), Sanskrit वृणीते (vṛṇīte), वृणोति (vṛṇoti, “to choose”). The verb is not always distinguishable from Etymology 3, below.
(indicating future action): Compare typologically Bulgarian ще (šte), Macedonian ќе (ḱe), Serbo-Croatian хтети (< Proto-Slavic *xotěti).
Meanings
(auxiliary, no-past-participle) Used to express the future tense, sometimes with an implication of volition or determination when used in the first person. Compare shall.
Good fool, as ever thou wilt deserve well at my hand, help me to a candle, and pen, ink and paper : as I am a gentleman, I will live to be thankful to thee for’t. c. 1601–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Twelfe Night, or What You Will”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, (please specify the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals)]:
The President will arrive at 10.00 — Will she be wanting lunch?
If your sis won’t be here on Thu, we’d better cancel the booking. — I will pray that she arrives on time.
We'll finish ours sooner than you (do/will).
Dad, will you take me to the park? Will you, please? — Will you be quiet! I'm on the phone.
Will you be doing the shopping this evening? If so, will you do mine too, please?
The baby will surely have green eyes, because both parents have.
If you bring your tents, we will all camp on the coast.
This breakthrough will mean that we spend less on the electricity bill.
If my plans change, I will let you know.
Can somebody lend me a hand? — I will.
I said I’d help, and help I will.
If we don't go now, I will be late for my class.
That'll be £69.99, please. Last for ever this pair of jeans sure will.
Do not forget, will you?
If you will come this way, I’ll show you your bedroom.
I'll hold that for you, shall I?
In the first place, although many people wanted nationalisation and it became the will of Parliament, there were many other people who did not want it, have never willingly accepted it, and never will. 1958 January 14, 'Borderer', “Ten Years of British Railways”, in Railway Magazine, page 12:
“I will, with your leave, relate to you, miss, the story of one of our customers.” 1859, Charles Dickens, chapter 4, in A Tale of Two Cities, London: Chapman and Hall, […], →OCLC:
I'm going to quit smoking. I really will!
Won't you have another glass of wine? — No, I think I’ll go to bed.
They will've forgotten what I look like by now.
(auxiliary, no-past-participle) To be able to, to have the capacity to.
Unfortunately, only one of these gloves will actually fit over my hand.
(auxiliary, no-past-participle) Expressing a present tense or perfect tense with some conditional or subjective weakening: "will turn out to", "must by inference".
I’ll kill anybody who touches my car.
Unless she diverted on the ten minute walk home, she’ll have got home at about half past. 2012, Penny Freedman, All The Daughters:
He will be home by now. He always gets home before 6 o'clock.
“That will be five zloty.” I reached into my pocket and came up with some coins. 2007, Edward Jesko, The Polish:
I can't find my umbrella. I will've left it at home this morning.
(auxiliary, no-past-participle) To habitually do (a given action).
So far neither side has scored a decisive victory, though each will occasionally claim one. 2011, “Connubial bliss in America”, in The Economist:
Most nights I'll read a little before going to sleep.
How telling is it that many women will volunteer for temporary disablement by wearing high heeled shoes that hobble them? 2009, Stephen Bayley, The Telegraph, 24 Sep 09:
I will fall in love with the wrong women time and again.
People will talk.
As young men will, I did my best to appear suave and sophisticated. 1994, Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela, London: Abacus, published 2010, page 28:
But which of you hauing a seruant plowing, or feeding cattell, will say vnto him by & by when he is come from the field, Goe and sit downe to meate? And will not rather say vnto him, Make ready wherewith I may suppe, and gird thy selfe, and serue me, till I haue eaten and drunken: and afterward thou shalt eate and drinke. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Luke 17:7–8:
The shapes of clouds will often remind us of animals.
Boys will be boys.
(auxiliary, no-past-participle) To choose or agree to (do something); used to express intention but without any temporal connotations, often in questions and negation.
What will you drink?
I’ve told him three times, but he won’t take his medicine.
Will you marry me?
(literary, no-past-participle, transitive, uncommon) To wish, desire (something).
God willed it.
If thou wilt fare well at meat and meal, come and follow me. c. 1450, The Macro Plays:
And behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Matthew 8:2:
Grant what Thou dost command, and command what Thou wilt. 1944, St. Augustine, translated by FJ Sheed, Confessions:
Do what you will.
Twelfe Night, Or what you will (original spelling) 1601, William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night, or What You Will:
(archaic, intransitive, no-past-participle) To wish or desire (that something happen); to intend (that).
the disciples cam to Jesus sayinge unto hym: where wylt thou that we prepare for the to eate the ester lambe? 1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Matthew:
see God's goodwill toward men, hear how generally his grace is proposed, to him, and him, and them, each man in particular, and to all. 1 Tim. ii. 4. "God will that all men be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth." 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC:
Consider, if you will, the possibility that the sherry glasses were misplaced accidentally.
(archaic, no-past-participle) Implying will go.
I’ll to England. c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):
From Middle English wille, from Old English willa (compare verb willian), from Proto-Germanic *wiljô (“desire, will”), from Proto-Indo-European *welh₁- (“to choose, wish”). Cognate with Dutch wil, German Wille, Swedish vilja, Norwegian vilje.
Meanings
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.
The act of choosing to do something; a person’s conscious intent or volition.
The father chose the name and could change it later at his will. 1945, E[lizabeth] G[idley] Withycombe, “Introduction”, in The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page xiii:
The episode’s unwillingness to fully commit to the pathos of the Bart-and-Laura subplot is all the more frustrating considering its laugh quota is more than filled by a rollicking B-story that finds Homer, he of the iron stomach and insatiable appetite, filing a lawsuit against The Frying Dutchman when he’s hauled out of the eatery against his will after consuming all of the restaurant’s shrimp (plus two plastic lobsters). 2012 May 27, Nathan Rabin, “TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “New Kid On The Block” (season 4, episode 8; originally aired 11/12/1992)”, in The Onion AV Club:
Most creatures have a will to live.
One's intention or decision; someone's orders or commands.
Eventually I submitted to my parents' will.
In the first place, although many people wanted nationalisation and it became the will of Parliament, there were many other people who did not want it, have never willingly accepted it, and never will. 1958 January 14, 'Borderer', “Ten Years of British Railways”, in Railway Magazine, page 12:
Firmness of purpose, fixity of intent
...surely the link could not have been with Churchill the brilliant, gallant and steadfast wartime leader who, by dint of character, will and language, turned near defeat into victory. 2015, Dr. Harlan K. Ullman, Huffington Post 31 May 2015., "Winston Spencer Ghani"
Thus Mill’s case for the claim that happiness is the sole human end, put more carefully, is this: ‘Whatever is desired otherwise than as a means to some end beyond itself, and ultimately to happiness, is desired as itself a part of happiness, and is not desired for itself until has become so’ (1861a: 237). Nothing here assumed Hume’s view that every action must ultimately flow from an underived desire. That is a quite separate issue, and Mill’s view of it is closer to that of Kant or Reid than to that of Hume. He insists ‘positively and emphatically’ that the will is a different thing from desire; that a person of confirmed virtue, or any other person whose purposes are fixed, carries out his purposes without any thought of the pleasure he has in contemplating them, or expects to derive from their fulfilment. (1861a: 238) This distinction between purpose and desire is central to Mill’s conception of the will. When we develop purposes we can will against mere likings or aversions: ‘In the case of an habitual purpose, instead of willing the thing because we desire it, we often desire it only because we will it’ (1861a: 238). Every action is caused by a motive, but not every motive is a liking or aversion: When the will is said to be determined by motives, a motive does not mean always, or solely, the anticipation of a pleasure or of a pain…. A habit of willing is commonly called a purpose; and among the causes of our volitions, and of the actions which flow from them, must be reckoned not only likings and aversions, but also purposes. (1843: 842) The formation of purposes from desires is the evolution of will; it is also the development of character. Mill quotes Novalis: ‘a character is a completely fashioned will’ (1843: 843). 1998, John Skorupski,, Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Mill, John Stuart (1806–73)
A formal declaration of one's intent concerning the disposal of one's property and holdings after death; the legal document stating such wishes.
“Uncle Barnaby was always father and mother to me,” Benson broke in; then after a pause his mind flew off at a tangent. “Is old Hannah all right—in the will, I mean?” 1928, Lawrence R. Bourne, chapter 1, in Well Tackled!:
(archaic) That which is desired; one's wish.
I auow by this most sacred head / Of my deare foster child, to ease thy griefe, / And win thy will [...]. 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto II”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
(archaic) Desire, longing. (Now generally merged with later senses.)
He felt a great will to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
oc volontat (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · pl wola (intention or decision) · grc θέλημα (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · et tahe (one's independent faculty of choice) · ca voluntat (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · mi e (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · ba ихтыяр (one's independent faculty of choice) · nb vilje (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · fi tahto (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · he אָבָה (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · fi tahto (intention or decision) · hu akarat (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · zdj nyandzo (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · ceb buot (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · ru во́ля (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · de Wille (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · ar إرَادَة (one's independent faculty of choice) · be во́ля (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · got 𐍅𐌹𐌻𐌾𐌰 (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · ar رَغْبَة (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · rm voluntad (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · pl wola (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · cs vůle (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · mi takune (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · non vili (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · sq vullnet (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · hi इच्छा (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · dsb wóla (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · hu kívánság (intention or decision) · et tahe (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · fo vilji (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · uk во́ля (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · hu döntés (intention or decision) · fa آرزو (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · pt vontade (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · nb vilje (intention or decision) · cy ewyllys (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · lb Wëllen (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · ru во́ля (intention or decision) · th ประณิธาน (one's independent faculty of choice) · hu szándék (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · uk во́ля (one's independent faculty of choice) · rm voluntà (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · rm volunted (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · de Wille (one's independent faculty of choice) · sh vȍlja (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · hu óhaj (intention or decision) · az ixtiyar (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · sc boluntadi (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · nl wil (one's independent faculty of choice) · de Wille (intention or decision) · pl wola (one's independent faculty of choice) · bg во́ля (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · sc volontade (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · hi संकल्प (intention or decision) · th ปณิธาน (intention or decision) · eu gogo (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · tr irade (one's independent faculty of choice) · nl wens (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · bg намере́ние (intention or decision) · eu nahi (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · cu волꙗ (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · kk ықтияр (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · be во́ля (one's independent faculty of choice) · lt valia (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · uz ixtiyor (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · ka ნება (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · fa خواسته (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · cy ewyllys (one's independent faculty of choice) · fi halu (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · th ปณิธาน (one's independent faculty of choice) · ceb pagbuot (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · he רָצוֹן (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · ru наме́рение (intention or decision) · ka სურვილი (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · mk волја (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · it volontà (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · tg ирода (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · tr irade (intention or decision) · fur volontât (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · lt noras (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · hu szándék (intention or decision) · nog эрк (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · hi इच्छा (one's independent faculty of choice) · mi whakaaro (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · sh во̏ља (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · da vilje (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · ca albir (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · dlm voluntuot (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · nb krav (intention or decision) · mi ka (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · ru во́ля (one's independent faculty of choice) · sc bolontade (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · es voluntad (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · ca lliure albir (one's independent faculty of choice) · la voluntas (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · ko 의지 (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · bg во́ля (one's independent faculty of choice) · sv önskan (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · pt arbítrio (one's independent faculty of choice) · ee lɔ̃lɔ̃nu (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · hsb wola (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · gl albidro (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · hy կամք (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · ar إرَادَة (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · cmn 意志 (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · es albedrío (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · pdt Wellen (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · tg ихтиёр (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · sl volja (intention or decision) · ba ихтыяр (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · th เจตจำนง (one's independent faculty of choice) · ca voluntat (intention or decision) · sl volja (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · el βούληση (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · la arbitrium (one's independent faculty of choice) · ar إرَادَة (intention or decision) · xto kri (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · sk vôľa (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · id hendak (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · nl wil (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · hi इच्छा (intention or decision) · et tahe (intention or decision) · th ประณิธาน (intention or decision) · gl vontade (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · id kehendak (one's independent faculty of choice) · tt ихтыяр (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · fi tahto (one's independent faculty of choice) · tg орзу (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · nb vilje (one's independent faculty of choice) · uz iroda (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · ky ыктыяр (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · ja 意志 (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · eo volo (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · tr irade (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · kk ерік (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · sl volja (one's independent faculty of choice) · sv vilja (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · ro voință (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · el θέληση (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · la voluntas (one's independent faculty of choice) · sa इच्छा (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · hu akarat (one's independent faculty of choice) · az iradə (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · fr volonté (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · ga deoin (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · nb ønske (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition) · fa اختیار (act of choosing to do something; conscious intent or volition)
From Middle English willen, from Old English willian (“to will”), from Proto-West Germanic *willjōn (“to will”), from Proto-Indo-European *welh₁- (“to choose, wish”). Cognate with German Low German willen, German willen. The verb is not always distinguishable from Etymology 1, above.
Meanings
(intransitive, transitive) To instruct (that something be done) in one's will.
(transitive) To bequeath (something) to someone in one's will (legal document).
He willed his stamp collection to the local museum.
(transitive) To exert one's force of will (intention) in order to compel, or attempt to compel, something to happen or someone to do something.
They willed me say so, madam. 1613 (date written), William Shakespeare, [John Fletcher], “The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eight”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]:
The white feminist and white gay movement have willed themselves ignorant of black feminist and black gay experiences. 1986, Daniel Garrett, “Creating Ourselves: An Open Letter”, in Joseph Beam, editor, In The Life: A Black Gay Anthology, page 102:
All the fans were willing their team to win the game.
Her parents were watching her run, willing her on.
Send for music, / And will the cooks to use their best of cunning / To please the palate. c. 1612–1615?, John Fletcher, Francis Beaumont, revised by Philip Massinger, “Loves Cure or, The Martial Maid”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, →OCLC, Act I, scene ii: