1. expressing the future tense: "you will regret it when you are older"
▪ expressing a strong intention or assertion about the future: "come what may, I will succeed"
2. expressing inevitable events: "accidents will happen"
3. expressing a request: "will you stop here, please"
▪ expressing desire, consent, or willingness: "will you have a cognac?"
4. expressing facts about ability or capacity: "a rock so light that it will float on water"
5. expressing habitual behaviour: "she will dance for hours"
▪ (pronounced stressing ‘will’) indicating annoyance about the habitual behaviour described: "he will keep intruding"
6. expressing probability or expectation about something in the present:"they will be miles away by now"
Word OriginOld Englishwyllan, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch willen, German wollen, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin velle ‘will, wish’.
