What is the difference between intention and will?
intention | will |
A course of action that a person intends to follow.
:
*(Samuel Johnson) (1709-1784) (but see
*:Hell is paved with good intentions .
*
*:“My Continental prominence is improving,” I commented dryly. ¶ Von Lindowe cut at a furze bush with his silver-mounted rattan. ¶ “Quite so,” he said as dryly, his hand at his mustache. “I may say if your intentions were known your life would not be worth a curse.”
*{{quote-book, year=1935, author=
, title=Death on the Centre Court, chapter=3
, passage=It had been his intention to go to Wimbledon, but as he himself said: “Why be blooming well frizzled when you can hear all the results over the wireless. And results are all that concern me.
The goal or purpose behind a specific action or set of actions.
:
(lb) Tension; straining, stretching.
*, I.iii.3:
*:cold in those inner parts, cold belly, and hot liver, causeth crudity, and intention proceeds from perturbations […].
A stretching or bending of the mind toward of the mind toward an object; closeness of application; fixedness of attention; earnestness.
*(John Locke) (1632-1705)
*:Intention is when the mind, with great earnestness, and of choice, fixes its view on any idea.
(lb) The object toward which the thoughts are directed; end; aim.
*1732 , (John Arbuthnot),
*:In a Word, the most part of chronical Distempers proceed from Laxity of Fibres; in which Case the principal Intention is to restore the Tone of the solid Parts;.
(lb) Any mental apprehension of an object.
(lb) The process of the healing of a wound.
*2007 , Carie Ann Braun, ?Cindy Miller Anderson, Pathophysiology: Functional Alterations in Human Health ,
*:When healing occurs by primary intention , the wound is basically closed with all areas of the wound connecting and healing simultaneously.
(Webster 1913)
(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.
As nouns the difference between intention and will
is that intention is a course of action that a person intends to follow while will is desire, longing. (Now generally merged with later senses..As a verb will is
to wish, desire.As a proper noun Will is
a diminutive=William given name. Also used as a formal given name.intention
English
(wikipedia intention)Alternative forms
* entention (obsolete)Noun
(en noun)Apocryhpha)
George Goodchild
An Essay Concerning the Nature of Ailments …, Prop. II, p.159:
p.49:
Derived terms
* intentional * the road to hell is paved with good intentions * well-intentionedwill
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.
citation, page= , passage=The episode’s unwillingness to fully commit to the pathos of the Bart-and-Laura subplot is all the more frustrating considering its laugh quota is more than filled by a rollicking B-story that finds Homer, he of the iron stomach and insatiable appetite, filing a lawsuit against The Frying Dutchman when he’s hauled out of the eatery against his will after consuming all of the restaurant’s shrimp (plus two plastic lobsters).}}
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.