Will vs At - What's the difference?
will | at |
(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.
In or very near a particular place.
:
*
*:“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.”
*
*:(b ) sporophyte with foot reduced, the entire sporophyte enveloped by the calyptra, which is ± stipitate at the base.
(indicating time) Simultaneous, during.
:
*{{quote-news, year=2012, date=April 19, author=Josh Halliday, work=the Guardian
, title= In the direction of (often in an unfocused or uncaring manner).
:
*
*:“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.”
Occupied in (activity).
:
:
Because of.
:
Holding a given speed or .
:
In a state of.
:
bothering, irritating, causing discomfort to
*1995 Keith Wood, quoted in David Hughes, "
*:I think `Jesus, my back is at' me'. Then I get the ball. Off you go for 10 yards and you don't feel a thing. Then you stop and think: `Jesus, it's ' at me again'[.]
*2014 Marian Keyes "
*:He seems to be saying. “Ah, go on, you’re making the other lads feel bad.” But the 4th fella says, “No. Don’t be ‘at’ me. I’m just not in the form right now, I’ll stay where I am, thanks.”
As a proper noun will
is also used as a formal given name.As a noun will
is (american football) a weak-side linebacker.As a symbol at is
.will
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.
Usage notes
* Historically, will' was used in the simple future sense only in the second and third person, while ''shall'' was used in the first person. Today, that distinction is almost entirely lost, and the verb takes the same form in all persons and both numbers. Similarly, in the intent sense, '''will was historically used with the second and third person, while ''shall was reserved for the first person. * Historically, the present tense is will' and the past tense is '''would'''. Early Modern English had a past participle ' would which is now obsolete. :: Malory, ‘Many tymes he myghte haue had her and he had wold’ ; John Done, ‘If hee had would, hee might easily [...] occupied the Monarchy.’ * Formerly, will could be used elliptically for "will go" — e.g. "I'll to her lodgings" (Marlowe). * See the usage note at shall . * The present participle does not apply to the uses of will as an auxiliary verb.See also
*at
English
(AT)Preposition
(English prepositions)Free speech haven or lawless cesspool – can the internet be civilised?, passage=Other global taboos, such as sex and suicide, manifest themselves widely online, with websites offering suicide guides and Hot XXX Action seconds away at the click of a button. The UK government will come under pressure to block access to pornographic websites this year when a committee of MPs publishes its report on protecting children online.}}
Wood odds-on to take one against the head", in The Independent (London) 18 January:
Antarctic Diary - Part 2" personal website (January 2014):
