will

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a fixed and persistent intent or purpose

   where there's a will there's a way

2. 2
   verb

   determine by choice

   This action was willed and intended

3. 3
   verb

   decree or ordain

   God wills our existence

4. 4
   verb

   Used to express the future tense, sometimes with an implication of volition or determination when used in the first person. Compare shall.

   Do not forget, will you?

5. 5
   verb

   To be able to, to have the capacity to.

   Unfortunately, only one of these gloves will actually fit over my hand.

6. 6
   verb

   Expressing a present tense or perfect tense with some conditional or subjective weakening: "will turn out to", "must by inference".

   He will be home by now. He always gets home before 6 o'clock.

7. 7
   verb

   To habitually do (a given action).

   Boys will be boys.

8. 8
   verb

   To choose or agree to (do something); used to express intention but without any temporal connotations, often in questions and negation.

   Will you marry me?

Etymology

From Middle English willen, wullen, wollen, from Old English willan (“to want”), from Proto-West Germanic *willjan, from Proto-Germanic *wiljaną, from Proto-Indo-European *welh₁- (“to choose, wish”). Cognates Cognate with Yola ill, weel, well, will, woul, wull (“will”), North Frisian wale, wel (“to want”), Saterland Frisian and West Frisian wolle (“to want”), Alemannic German and Central Franconian welle (“to want”), Cimbrian béllan, bölln (“to want”), Dutch willen (“to want”), German wollen (“to want”), Low German wüllen (“to want; will”), Luxembourgish wëllen (“to want”), Yiddish וועלן (veln…