Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
×

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

free will

noun

Definition of free will

  1. 1 :  voluntary choice or decision I do this of my own free will

  2. 2 :  freedom of humans to make choices that are not determined by prior causes or by divine intervention

See free will defined for English-language learners

See free will defined for kids

People Are Reading

emoji-the-quiz
The Emoji Quiz
video-title-words-of-the-year-1066
Words of the Year: 1066
alt-59721dd897313
The 'Best' Way to Sign Off On An E-mail
image386126722
Words That Come From the Dinner Table

Examples of free will in a Sentence

  1. He argues that all humans have free will.

  2. all of the workers at the homeless shelter are unpaid and are there of their own free will

First Known Use of free will

13th century

free will Synonyms

Synonyms
accord, autonomy, choice, self-determination, volition, will
Related Words
election, preference, selection; bent, devices, disposition, inclination, leaning, partiality, penchant, predilection, predisposition, proclivity, propensity, tendency; alternative, discretion, option, pick, way
Near Antonyms
coercion, compulsion, constraint, duress, force, pressure

FREE WILL Defined for English Language Learners

free will

noun

Definition of free will for English Language Learners

  • : the ability to choose how to act

  • : the ability to make choices that are not controlled by fate or God

FREE WILL Defined for Kids

free will

noun

Definition of free will for Students

  1. :  a person's own choice or decision She confessed of her own free will.

Learn More about free will

  1. See words that rhyme with free will Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for free will Spanish Central: Translation of free will Nglish: Translation of free will for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about free will

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up free will? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

advise

play

to counsel, recommend, or inform

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. scaramouch A new White House communications director

  2. non sequitur “It does not follow”

  3. admiral's mast A massive search ends with an 'admiral's mast'.

  4. calumny 'An untrue statement that is made to damage someone's reputation'

  5. kakistocracy Frustrated Twitter users have been searching for this word.

SEE ALL

BROWSE DICTIONARY

free will

Test Your Vocabulary

The Emoji Quiz

  • emoji-the-quiz
  • What phase of the moon is this: 🌖 ?
Name That Thing

Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!

TAKE THE QUIZ
Bee Cubed

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

alt-59721dd897313
The 'Best' Way to Sign Off On An E-mail

Give them your best

image386126722
Words and Phrases That Come from the Dinner Table

Fill your plate with these surprising food words

ghost-being-disinvited-from-party
'Disinvite' or 'Uninvite'?

A disinvited guest is an uninvited problem

alt-596f730ceb5ae
Words We're Watching: 'Scoby'

Kombucha lovers unite.

Ask the Editors

video-title-words-of-the-year-1066
Words of the Year: 1066

Or, Why Pig Meat is Called 'Pork' and Cow Meat is Called 'Beef'

payday
How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Don't get us started on 'bimonthly'

video-irregardless-grammar-peeve-blend-of-the-synonyms-irrespective-and-regardless
Irregardless

It is in fact a real word (but that doesn't mean you should use it).

video-moose-goose-weird-plurals
Weird Plurals

One goose, two geese. One moose, two... moose. What's up with that?

Word Games

emoji-the-quiz
The Emoji Quiz

Think you’re an emoji 👓 expert? Let’s see 🤔

Take the quiz
image941935269
A Game of Thrones Word Quiz

In the Game of Thrones quiz, you learn some new vocabulary. (It’s quite safe, really. You will not die.)

Take the quiz
Name That Thing
Name That Thing

Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!

Take the quiz
Bee Cubed
Bee Cubed

Listen to the words and spell through all three levels.

Play the game
Examples: free will in a Sentence