will

¹will

verb \wəl, (ə)l, ^əl, ˈwil\

past would\wəd, (ə)d, ˈwu̇d\ present singular & plural will

Definition of WILL

transitive verb

: desire, wish <call it what you will>

verbal auxiliary

1

—used to express desire, choice, willingness, consent, or in negative constructions refusal <no one would take the job> <if we will all do our best> <will you please stop that racket>

2

—used to express frequent, customary, or habitual action or natural tendency or disposition <will get angry over nothing> <will work one day and loaf the next>

3

—used to express futurity <tomorrow morning I will wake up in this first-class hotel suite — Tennessee Williams>

4

—used to express capability or sufficiency <the back seat will hold three passengers>

5

—used to express probability and often equivalent to the simple verb <that will be the babysitter>

6

a —used to express determination, insistence, persistence, or willfulness <I have made up my mind to go and go I will> b —used to express inevitability <accidents will happen>

intransitive verb

7

—used to express a command, exhortation, or injunction <you will do as I say, at once> : to have a wish or desire <whether we will or no>

See Usage Discussion at shall

— if you will

: if you wish to call it that <a kind of preoccupation, or obsession if you will — Louis Auchincloss>

Origin of WILL

Middle English (1st & 3d singular present indicative), from Old English wille (infinitive wyllan); akin to Old High German wili (3d singular present indicative) wills, Latin velle to wish, will

First Known Use: before 12th century

Rhymes with WILL

bill, brill, chill, dill, drill, fill, frill, gill, grill, grille, hill, ill, kill, krill, mil, mill, mille, nil, nill, Phil, pill, prill, quill, rill, shill, shrill, sill, skill, spill, squill, still, swill, thill, thrill, til, till, trill, twill, vill

Britannica.com

Learn more about "will" and related topics at Britannica.com