WILL

volition, will

(noun) the capability of conscious choice and decision and intention; “the exercise of their volition we construe as revolt”- George Meredith

will

(noun) a fixed and persistent intent or purpose; “where there’s a will there’s a way”

will, testament

(noun) a legal document declaring a person’s wishes regarding the disposal of their property when they die

will

(verb) determine by choice; “This action was willed and intended”

will

(verb) decree or ordain; “God wills our existence”

bequeath, will, leave

(verb) leave or give by will after one’s death; “My aunt bequeathed me all her jewelry”; “My grandfather left me his entire estate”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

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Etymology 1

Verb

will

(now uncommon or literary, transitive) To wish, desire (something). [chiefly 9th-18th c.]

(nowadays rare, intransitive) To wish or desire (that something happen); to intend (that). [9th-19th c.]

(auxiliary) To habitually do (a given action). [from 9th c.]

(auxiliary) To choose to (do something); used to express intention but without any temporal connotations (+ bare infinitive), often in negation. [from 10th c.]

(auxiliary) Used to express the future tense, sometimes with some implication of volition when used in the first person. Compare shall. [from 10th c.]

(auxiliary) To be able to, to have the capacity to. [from 14th c.]

(auxiliary) Expressing a present tense with some conditional or subjective weakening: "will turn out to", "must by inference". [from 15th c.]

Usage notes

• Historically, will was used in the simple future sense only in the second and third person, while shall was used in the first person. Today, that distinction is almost entirely lost, and the verb takes the same form in all persons and both numbers. Similarly, in the intent sense, will was historically used with the second and third person, while shall was reserved for the first person.

• Historically, the present tense is will and the past tense is would. Early Modern English had a past participle would which is now obsolete.

• Formerly, will could be used elliptically for "will go" — e.g. "I'll to her lodgings" (Marlowe).

• See the usage note at shall.

• The present participle does not apply to the uses of will as an auxiliary verb.

• The form of will with the enclitic -n’t (or the present tense negative form of will in the analysis in which -n’t is an inflectional suffix) is won’t (“will not”), while the corresponding form of the past tense would is wouldn’t. Won’t is an irregular form; the expected form would be willn’t.

Etymology 2

Noun

will (plural wills)

One's independent faculty of choice; the ability to be able to exercise one's choice or intention. [from 9th c.]

One's intention or decision; someone's orders or commands. [from 9th c.]

The act of choosing to do something; a person’s conscious intent or volition. [from 10th c.]

(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. [from 14th c.]

(archaic) That which is desired; one's wish. [from 10th c.]

(archaic) Desire, longing. (Now generally merged with later senses.) [from 9th c.]

Usage notes

• For example a strong will, free will, or independent will.

Synonyms

• (law): last will, last will and testament, testament

Etymology 3

Verb

will (third-person singular simple present wills, present participle willing, simple past (rare) would or willed, past participle willed)

(archaic) To wish, desire. [9th–19th c.]

(transitive, intransitive) To instruct (that something be done) in one's will. [from 9th c.]

(transitive) To try to make (something) happen by using one's will (intention). [from 10th c.]

(transitive) To bequeath (something) to someone in one's will (legal document). [from 15th c.]

Synonyms

• (bequeath): bequeath, leave

Etymology

Shortened from William or, less often, from other given names beginning with Wil-, such as Wilfred or Willard.

Proper noun

Will

A male given name, a shortening of William; also used as a formal given name.

A patronymic surname.

Noun

Will (plural Wills)

(American football) A weak-side linebacker.

Source: Wiktionary

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Will, n. Etym: [OE. wille, AS. willa; akin to OFries. willa, OS. willeo, willio, D. wil, G. wille, Icel. vili, Dan. villie, Sw. vilja, Goth wilja. See Will, v.]

1. The power of choosing; the faculty or endowment of the soul by which it is capable of choosing; the faculty or power of the mind by which we decide to do or not to do; the power or faculty of preferring or selecting one of two or more objects. It is necessary to form a distinct notion of what is meant by the word "volition" in order to understand the import of the word will, for this last word expresses the power of mind of which "volition" is the act. Stewart. Will is an ambiguous word, being sometimes put for the faculty of willing; sometimes for the act of that faculty, besides [having] other meanings. But "volition" always signifies the act of willing, and nothing else. Reid. Appetite is the will's solicitor, and the will is appetite's controller; what we covet according to the one, by the other we often reject. Hooker. The will is plainly that by which the mind chooses anything. J. Edwards.

2. The choice which is made; a determination or preference which results from the act or exercise of the power of choice; a volition. The word "will," however, is not always used in this its proper acceptation, but is frequently substituted for "volition", as when I say that my hand mover in obedience to my will. Stewart.

3. The choice or determination of one who has authority; a decree; a command; discretionary pleasure. Thy will be done. Matt. vi. 10. Our prayers should be according to the will of God. Law.

4. Strong wish or inclination; desire; purpose.

Note: "Inclination is another word with which will is frequently confounded. Thus, when the apothecary says, in Romeo and Juliet, -- My poverty, but not my will, consents; . . . Put this in any liquid thing you will, And drink it off. the word will is plainly used as, synonymous with inclination; not in the strict logical sense, as the immediate antecedent of action. It is with the same latitude that the word is used in common conversation, when we speak of doing a thing which duty prescribes, against one's own will; or when we speak of doing a thing willingly or unwillingly." Stewart.

5. That which is strongly wished or desired. What's your will, good friar Shak. The mariner hath his will. Coleridge.

6. Arbitrary disposal; power to control, dispose, or determine. Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies. Ps. xxvii. 12.

Will, v. t. & auxiliary. [imp. Would. Indic. present, I will (Obs. I wol), thou wilt, he will (Obs. he wol); we, ye, they will.] Etym: [OE. willen, imp. wolde; akin to OS. willan, OFries. willa, D. willen, G. wollen, OHG. wollan, wellan, Icel. & Sw. vilja, Dan. ville, Goth. wiljan, OSlav. voliti, L. velle to wish, volo I wish; cf. Skr. vrs to choose, to prefer. Cf. Voluntary, Welcome, Well, adv.]

1. To wish; to desire; to incline to have. A wife as of herself no thing ne sholde [should] Wille in effect, but as her husband wolde [would]. Chaucer. Caleb said unto her, What will thou Judg. i. 14. They would none of my counsel. Prov. i. 30.

2. As an auxiliary, will is used to denote futurity dependent on the verb. Thus, in first person, "I will" denotes willingness, consent, promise; and when "will" is emphasized, it denotes determination or fixed purpose; as, I will go if you wish; I will go at all hazards. In the second and third persons, the idea of distinct volition, wish, or purpose is evanescent, and simple certainty is appropriately expressed; as, "You will go," or "He will go," describes a future event as a fact only. To emphasize will denotes (according to the tone or context) certain futurity or fixed determination.

Note: Will, auxiliary, may be used elliptically for will go. "I'll to her lodgings." Marlowe.

Note: As in shall (which see), the second and third persons may be virtually converted into the first, either by question or indirect statement, so as to receive the meaning which belongs to will in that person; thus, "Will you go" (answer, "I will go") asks assent, requests, etc.; while "Will he go" simply inquires concerning futurity; thus, also,"He says or thinks he will go," "You say or think you will go," both signify willingness or consent.

Note: Would, as the preterit of will, is chiefly employed in conditional, subjunctive, or optative senses; as, he would go if he could; he could go if he would; he said that he would go; I would fain go, but can not; I would that I were young again; and other like phrases. In the last use, the first personal pronoun is often omitted; as, would that he were here; would to Heaven that it were so; and, omitting the to in such an adjuration. "Would God I had died for thee." Would is used for both present and future time, in conditional propositions, and would have for past time; as, he would go now if he were ready; if it should rain, he would not go; he would have gone, had he been able. Would not, as also will not, signifies refusal. "He was angry, and would not go in." Luke xv. 28. Would is never a past participle.

Note: In Ireland, Scotland, and the United States, especially in the southern and western portions of the United States, shall and will, should and would, are often misused, as in the following examples: -- I am able to devote as much time and attention to other subjects as I will [shall] be under the necessity of doing next winter. Chalmers. A countryman, telling us what he had seen, remarked that if the conflagration went on, as it was doing, we would [should] have, as our next season's employment, the Old Town of Edinburgh to rebuild. H. Miller. I feel assured that I will [shall] not have the misfortune to find conflicting views held by one so enlightened as your excellency. J. Y. Mason.

Will, v. i.

Definition: To be willing; to be inclined or disposed; to be pleased; to wish; to desire. And behold, there came a leper and worshiped him, saying, Lord if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus . . . touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. Matt. viii. 2, 3.

Note: This word has been confused with will, v. i., to choose, which, unlike this, is of the weak conjugation. Will I, nill I, or Will ye, hill ye, or Will he, nill he, whether I, you, or he will it or not; hence, without choice; compulsorily; -- sometimes corrupted into willy nilly. "If I must take service willy nilly." J. H. Newman. "Land for all who would till it, and reading and writing will ye, nill ye." Lowell.

Will, v. t. [imp. & p. p Willed; p. pr. & vb. n. Willing. Indic. present I will, thou willeth, he wills; we, ye, they will.] Etym: [Cf. AS. willian. See Will, n.]

1. To form a distinct volition of; to determine by an act of choice; to ordain; to decree. "What she will to do or say." Milton. By all law and reason, that which the Parliament will not, is no more established in this kingdom. Milton. Two things he [God] willeth, that we should be good, and that we should be happy. Barrow.

2. To enjoin or command, as that which is determined by an act of volition; to direct; to order. [Obs. or R.] They willed me say so, madam. Shak. Send for music, And will the cooks to use their best of cunning To please the palate. Beau. & Fl. As you go, will the lord mayor . . . To attend our further pleasure presently. J. Webster.

3. To give or direct the disposal of by testament; to bequeath; to devise; as, to will one's estate to a child; also, to order or direct by testament; as, he willed that his nephew should have his watch.

Will, v. i.

Definition: To exercise an act of volition; to choose; to decide; to determine; to decree. At Winchester he lies, so himself willed. Robert of Brunne. He that shall turn his thoughts inward upon what passes in his own mind when he wills. Locke. I contend for liberty as it signifies a power in man to do as he wills or pleases. Collins.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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