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Wills

Wills [wilz] SynonymsExamples noun

Helen New·ing·ton [noo-ing-tuh n, nyoo-] /ˈnu ɪŋ tən, ˈnyu-/, 1906–98, U.S. tennis player.

will 2[wil] noun

the faculty of conscious and especially of deliberate action; the power of control the mind has over its own actions: the freedom of the will.
power of choosing one’s own actions: to have a strong or a weak will.
the act or process of using or asserting one’s choice; volition: My hands are obedient to my will.
wish or desire: to submit against one’s will.
purpose or determination, often hearty or stubborn determination; willfulness: to have the will to succeed.
the wish or purpose as carried out, or to be carried out: to work one’s will.
disposition, whether good or ill, toward another.
Law.
1. a legal declaration of a person’s wishes as to the disposition of his or her property or estate after death, usually written and signed by the testator and attested by witnesses.
2. the document containing such a declaration.

verb (used with object), willed, will·ing.

to decide, bring about, or attempt to effect or bring about by an act of the will: He can walk if he wills it.
to purpose, determine on, or elect, by an act of will: If he wills success, he can find it.
to give or dispose of (property) by a will or testament; bequeath or devise.
to influence by exerting control over someone’s impulses and actions: She was willed to walk the tightrope by the hypnotist.

verb (used without object), willed, will·ing.

to exercise the will: To will is not enough, one must do.
to decide or determine: Others debate, but the king wills.

Idioms

at will,
1. at one’s discretion or pleasure; as one desires: to wander at will through the countryside.
2. at one’s disposal or command.

Origin of will 2 before 900; (noun) Middle English will(e), Old English will(a); cognate with Dutch wil, German Wille, Old Norse vili, Gothic wilja; (v.) Middle English willen, Old English willian to wish, desire, derivative of the noun; akin to will1 Related formswill·er, nounSynonyms for will 3. choice. 4. pleasure, disposition, inclination. 5. resolution, decision. Will, volition refer to conscious choice as to action or thought. Will denotes fixed and persistent intent or purpose: Where there’s a will there’s a way. Volition is the power of forming an intention or the incentive for using the will: to exercise one’s volition in making a decision. 9. determine. 11. leave. Will [wil] noun

a male given name, form of William.

Related Words for wills desire, discipline, resolve, power, wish, decision, mind, intention, attitude, determination, passion, feeling, resolution, inclination, character, insistence, fancy, yearning, design, liking Examples from the Web for wills Contemporary Examples of wills

I doubt Wills feels it is disgusting for pro-life activists to register voters at anti-abortion protests.

Angry About Ferguson? Oppose Voter ID Laws

Jacob Lupfer

August 26, 2014

And she is the daughter of two proud, accomplished women who have succeeded in life by asserting our wills on the world.

My Daughter Is Bossy—But Don’t Call Her That

Sally Kohn

March 12, 2014

The Wills (Sears) Tower in Chicago added all glass balconies to the Skydeck during its 2009 renovations.

A New Installation in the French Alps Allows Visitors to Walk Off the Highest Mountain Peak

Justin Jones

December 21, 2013

Wills was loose, working the cameras with jokes about his new baby.

Kate Middleton Looked Goddam Fabulous Today

Isabel Wilkinson

July 23, 2013

If Wills has any say in the matter, their boy will have his very own Smokey, too.

How Different Is Raising the Royal Baby From a Typical American Child?

Kevin Fallon, Lizzie Crocker

July 23, 2013

Historical Examples of wills

But as to doing what he wills with a word—see what it cost him to redeem the world!

Weighed and Wanting

George MacDonald

Wills and other private deeds may of course be executed by phonograph.

Heroes of the Telegraph

J. Munro

John stood between two wills, his own and that of those who had sent him.

Tiverton Tales

Alice Brown

And I wait, submissive to His will, for nothing happens unless He wills it.

The Three Cities Trilogy, Complete

Emile Zola

All beings are wills which possess organs conformed to their purpose.

Initiation into Philosophy

Emile Faguet

British Dictionary definitions for wills Wills noun

Helen Newington, married name Helen Wills Moody Roark. 1905–98, US tennis player. She was Wimbledon singles champion eight times between 1927 and 1938. She also won the US title seven times and the French title four times
William John. 1834–61, English explorer: Robert Burke’s deputy in an expedition on which both men died after crossing Australia from north to south for the first time

will 1 verb past would (takes an infinitive without to or an implied infinitive)

(esp with you, he, she, it, they, or a noun as subject) used as an auxiliary to make the future tenseCompare shall (def. 1)
used as an auxiliary to express resolution on the part of the speakerI will buy that radio if it’s the last thing I do
used as an auxiliary to indicate willingness or desirewill you help me with this problem?
used as an auxiliary to express compulsion, as in commandsyou will report your findings to me tomorrow
used as an auxiliary to express capacity or abilitythis rope will support a load
used as an auxiliary to express probability or expectation on the part of the speakerthat will be Jim telephoning
used as an auxiliary to express customary practice or inevitabilityboys will be boys
(with the infinitive always implied) used as an auxiliary to express desire: usually in polite requestsstay if you will
what you will whatever you like
will do informal a declaration of willingness to do what is requested

Word Origin for will Old English willan; related to Old Saxon willian, Old Norse vilja, Old High German wollen, Latin velle to wish, willxref See shall will 2 noun

the faculty of conscious and deliberate choice of action; volitionRelated adjectives: voluntary, volitive
the act or an instance of asserting a choice
1. the declaration of a person’s wishes regarding the disposal of his or her property after deathRelated adjective: testamentary
2. a revocable instrument by which such wishes are expressed
anything decided upon or chosen, esp by a person in authority; desire; wish
determined intentionwhere there’s a will there’s a way
disposition or attitude towards othershe bears you no ill will
at will at one’s own desire, inclination, or choice
with a will heartily; energetically
with the best will in the world even with the best of intentions

verb (mainly tr; often takes a clause as object or an infinitive)

(also intr) to exercise the faculty of volition in an attempt to accomplish (something)he willed his wife’s recovery from her illness
to give (property) by will to a person, society, etche willed his art collection to the nation
(also intr) to order or decreethe king wills that you shall die
to choose or preferwander where you will
to yearn for or desireto will that one’s friends be happy

Derived Formswiller, nounWord Origin for will Old English willa; related to Old Norse vili, Old High German willeo (German Wille), Gothic wilja, Old Slavonic volja Word Origin and History for wills will v.

Old English *willan, wyllan “to wish, desire, want” (past tense wolde), from Proto-Germanic *welljan (cf. Old Saxon willian, Old Norse vilja, Old Frisian willa, Dutch willen, Old High German wellan, German wollen, Gothic wiljan “to will, wish, desire,” Gothic waljan “to choose”). The Germanic words are from PIE *wel-/*wol- “be pleasing” (cf. Sanskrit vrnoti “chooses, prefers,” varyah “to be chosen, eligible, excellent,” varanam “choosing;” Avestan verenav- “to wish, will, choose;” Greek elpis “hope;” Latin volo, velle “to wish, will, desire;” Old Church Slavonic voljo, voliti “to will,” veljo, veleti “to command;” Lithuanian velyti “to wish, favor,” pa-vel-mi “I will,” viliuos “I hope;” Welsh gwell “better”).

Cf. also Old English wel “well,” literally “according to one’s wish;” wela “well-being, riches.” The use as a future auxiliary was already developing in Old English. The implication of intention or volition distinguishes it from shall, which expresses or implies obligation or necessity. Contracted forms, especially after pronouns, began to appear 16c., as in sheele for “she will.” The form with an apostrophe is from 17c.

will n.

Old English will, willa, from Proto-Germanic *weljon (cf. Old Saxon willio, Old Norse vili, Old Frisian willa, Dutch wil, Old High German willio, German wille, Gothic wilja “will”), related to *willan “to wish” (see will (v.)). The meaning “written document expressing a person’s wishes about disposition of property after death” is first recorded late 14c.

Idioms and Phrases with wills will

In addition to the idiom beginning with will

will not hear of

also see:

against one’s will

at will

boys will be boys

heads (will) roll

murder will out

of one’s own accord (free will)

shit will hit the fan

that will do

time will tell

truth will out

when the cat’s away, mice will play

where there’s a will

with a will

with the best will in the world

wonders will never cease