Thesaurus: will

Related headwords

Definitions

1. v. 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.
2. v. The choice which is made; a determination or preference which results from the act or exercise of the power of choice; a volition.
3. v. The choice or determination of one who has authority; a decree; a command; discretionary pleasure.
4. v. Strong wish or inclination; desire; purpose.
5. v. That which is strongly wished or desired.
6. v. Arbitrary disposal; power to control, dispose, or determine.
7. v. The legal declaration of a person's mind as to the manner in which he would have his property or estate disposed of after his death; the written instrument, legally executed, by which a man makes disposition of his estate, to take effect after his death; testament; devise. See the Note under Testament, 1.
8. adv. To wish; to desire; to incline to have.
9. adv. 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.
10. v. i. To be willing; to be inclined or disposed; to be pleased; to wish; to desire.
11. n. To form a distinct volition of; to determine by an act of choice; to ordain; to decree.
12. n. To enjoin or command, as that which is determined by an act of volition; to direct; to order.
13. n. 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.
14. v. i. To exercise an act of volition; to choose; to decide; to determine; to decree.