will

will

will¹ [wil]

n.

[ME wille < OE willa, akin to Ger wille, willen < IE base * wel-, to wish, choose > L velle, to wish, voluptas, pleasure]

1. the power of making a reasoned choice or decision or of controlling one's own actions [a man of weak will]

2.

a) strong and fixed purpose; determination [where there's a will there's a way]

b) energy and enthusiasm [to work with a will]

3. disposition or attitude toward others [a man of good will]

4.

a) the particular desire, purpose, pleasure, choice, etc. of a certain person or group [what is your will?]

b) a compelling command or decree [the will of the people]

5. Law

a) the legal statement of a person's wishes concerning the disposal of his or her property after death

b) the document containing this

vt.

[ME willien < OE willian < willan, to desire: see WILL²]

1. to have as the object of one's will; desire; want [to will another's happiness, to will to survive]

2. to control or influence by the power of the will [to will oneself into an action, to will others into submission]

3. Law to bequeath by a will

vi.

1. to exert one's will [to succeed by willing]

2. to wish, desire, prefer, or choose [to do as one wills]

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at will

when one wishes; at one's discretion

SYN.- WILL¹, the more inclusive term here, basically denotes the power of choice and deliberate action or the intention resulting from the exercise of this power [freedom of the will, the will to succeed ]; VOLITION stresses the exercise of the will in making a choice or decision [he came of his own volition]

will² [wil]

v.aux.

pt.would [ME willen < OE willan, to be willing, desire, akin to Ger wollen, will: for IE base see WILL¹]

1. used to indicate simple future time [when will she be able to travel? I will bring the dessert]

2. used to express determination, compulsion, or obligation [you will listen to me, he will have his own way, I will have you know that I was here first]

3. used to express inclination or inevitability [boys will be boys]

4. used in polite questions [will you have some wine?]

5. used to express habit or customary practice [they will talk for hours on end]

6. used to express expectation or surmise [that will be his wife with him, I suppose]

7. used to express possibility [this drawer won't open]

vt.

Obs. to wish; desire [what will you, Master?]

USAGE- the distinction between WILL² (for second and third person subjects) and SHALL (for the first person) in expressing simple future time or determination, etc. is largely an artificial one, and today is virtually nonexistent in North American English; except for the use of SHALL in certain formal contexts (see SHALL) and other meanings specific to each, WILL² and SHALL and their respective past tenses WOULD and SHOULD are used interchangeably, with WILL² (and WOULD) being the preferred form in all persons