What is the difference between wish and will?
wish | will |
a desire, hope, or longing for something or for something to happen
an expression of such a desire etc.
the process of expressing or thinking about such a desire etc. (often connected with ideas of magic and supernatural power(s)
the thing desired or longed for
* 1901 , , (w, The Monkey's Paw)
(Sussex) a water meadow.
(label) To desire; to want.
* (William Shakespeare)
*
, passage=Yesterday, upon the stair / I met a man who wasn’t there / He wasn’t there again today / I wish', I ' wish he’d go away …}}
To hope (for a particular outcome).
* (John Arbuthnot) (1667-1735)
* 1901 , , (w, The Monkey's Paw)
To bestow (a thought or gesture) towards (someone or something).
* (William Shakespeare)
* Bible, (Psalms) xl. 14
To request or desire to do an activity.
* {{quote-magazine, year=2013, month=July-August, author=(Henry Petroski)
, title= (label) To recommend; to seek confidence or favour on behalf of.
* (Ben Jonson)
(archaic) Desire, longing. (Now generally merged with later senses.)
One's independent faculty of choice; the ability to be able to exercise one's choice or intention.
One's intention or decision; someone's orders or commands.
(archaic) That which is desired; one's wish.
* 1590 , Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene , III.ii:
The act of choosing to do something; a person’s conscious intent or volition.
* {{quote-news
, year=2012
, date=May 27
, author=Nathan Rabin
, title=TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “New Kid On The Block” (season 4, episode 8; originally aired 11/12/1992)
, work=The Onion AV Club
A formal declaration of one's intent concerning the disposal of one's property and holdings after death; the legal document stating such wishes.
* {{quote-book, year=1928, author=Lawrence R. Bourne
, title=Well Tackled!
, chapter=1 (archaic) To wish, desire.
* Bible, Matthew viii. 2
(intransitive) To instruct (that something be done) in one's will.
To try to make (something) happen by using one's will (intention).
* Shakespeare
* Beaumont and Fletcher
To bequeath (something) to someone in one's will (legal document).
(rare) To wish, desire (something).
* 1944 , FJ Sheed, translating St. Augustine, Confessions :
(rare) To wish or desire (that something happen); to intend (that).
* 1526 , William Tyndale, trans. Bible , Matthew XXVI:
*:
(auxiliary) To habitually do (a given action).
* 1994 , Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom , Abacus 2010, p. 28:
* 2009 , Stephen Bayley, The Telegraph , 24 Sep 09:
* 2011 , "Connubial bliss in America", The Economist :
(auxiliary) To choose to (do something), used to express intention but without any temporal connotations (+ bare infinitive).
(auxiliary) Used to express the future tense, formerly with some implication of volition when used in first person. Compare (shall).
* (rfdate) William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night Or What You Will , act IV:
* (rfdate) Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo , chapter LXXIII:
(auxiliary) To be able to, to have the capacity to.
Will is a synonym of wish.
In transitive terms the difference between wish and will
is that wish is to recommend; to seek confidence or favour on behalf of while will is to bequeath (something) to someone in one's will (legal document).As a proper noun Will is
a diminutive=William given name. Also used as a formal given name.wish
English
Noun
(es)- Your dearest wish will come true.
- "I suppose all old soldiers are the same," said Mrs White. "The idea of our listening to such nonsense! How could wishes be granted in these days? And if they could, how could two hundred pounds hurt you, father?" / "Might drop on his head from the sky," said the frivolous Herbert.
Usage notes
* Collocates with make for the common expression make a wish . SeeDerived terms
(Terms derived from the noun "wish") * death wish * best wishes * good wishes * make a wish * wishbone * wishful * wish list/wishlist/wish-list * your wish is my commandSee also
* precatory * velleityVerb
(es)- I would not wish / Any companion in the world but you.
- This is as good an argument as an antiquary could wish for.
- Mr. White took the paw from his pocket and eyed it dubiously. "I don't know what to wish for, and that's a fact," he said slowly. "It seems to me I've got all I want."
- I would not wish them to a fairer death.
- Let them be driven backward, and put to shame, that wish me evil.
Geothermal Energy, volume=101, issue=4, magazine=(American Scientist) , passage=Energy has seldom been found where we need it when we want it. Ancient nomads, wishing to ward off the evening chill and enjoy a meal around a campfire, had to collect wood and then spend time and effort coaxing the heat of friction out from between sticks to kindle a flame. With more settled people, animals were harnessed to capstans or caged in treadmills to turn grist into meal.}}
- I was wished to your worship by a gentleman.
Usage notes
* In sense 3, this is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive . SeeDerived terms
(Terms derived from the verb "wish") * as you wish * half wish * I wish * unwish * well-wisher * wisher * you wishwill
English
(wikipedia will)Etymology 1
From (etyl) wille, from (etyl) . Cognate with Dutch wil, German Wille, Swedish vilja. The verb is not always distinguishable from Etymology 2, below.Noun
(en noun)- He felt a great will to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
- Of course, man's will is often regulated by his reason.
- Eventually I submitted to my parents' will .
- I auow by this most sacred head / Of my deare foster child, to ease thy griefe, / And win thy will [...].
- Most creatures have a will to live.
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citation, passage=“Uncle Barnaby was always father and mother to me,” Benson broke in; then after a pause his mind flew off at a tangent. “Is old Hannah all right—in the will , I mean?”}}
Usage notes
* Can be said to be strong, free, independent, etc.Derived terms
* at will * wilful, willful * willpower * with a willVerb
- And behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord if thou wilt , thou canst make me clean.
- All the fans were willing their team to win the game.
- They willed me say so, madam.
- Send for music, / And will the cooks to use their best of cunning / To please the palate.
- He willed his stamp collection to the local museum.
Synonyms
* (bequeath) bequeath, leaveSee also
* bequeath * going to * modal verb * testament * volition * voluntaryEtymology 2
From (etyl) willen, wullen, wollen, from (etyl) willan, .It is not always distinguishable from Etymology 1, above.Verb
- Grant what Thou dost command, and command what Thou wilt .
- the disciples cam to Jesus sayinge unto hym: where wylt thou that we prepare for the to eate the ester lambe?
- see God's goodwill toward men, hear how generally his grace is proposed, to him, and him, and them, each man in particular, and to all. 1 Tim. ii. 4. "God will that all men be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth."
- As young men will , I did my best to appear suave and sophisticated.
- How telling is it that many women will volunteer for temporary disablement by wearing high heeled shoes that hobble them?
- So far neither side has scored a decisive victory, though each will occasionally claim one.
- Good fool, as ever thou wilt deserve well at my hand, help me to a candle, and pen, ink and paper : as I am a gentleman, I will live to be thankful to thee for’t.
- “I will' rejoin you, and we ' will fly ; but from this moment until then, let us not tempt Providence, Morrel; let us not see each other; it is a miracle, it is a providence that we have not been discovered; if we were surprised, if it were known that we met thus, we should have no further resource.”
- Unfortunately, only one of these gloves will actually fit over my hand.