would1

[woo d; unstressed wuh d] /wʊd; unstressed wəd/
verb
1.
a simple past tense and past participle of will1 .
2.
(used to express the future in past sentences):
He said he would go tomorrow.
3.
(used in place of will, to make a statement or form a question less direct or blunt):
That would scarcely be fair. Would you be so kind?
4.
(used to express repeated or habitual action in the past):
We would visit Grandma every morning up at the farm.
5.
(used to express an intention or inclination):
Nutritionists would have us all eat whole grains.
6.
(used to express a wish):
Would he were here!
7.
(used to express an uncertainty):
It would appear that he is guilty.
8.
(used in conditional sentences to express choice or possibility):
They would come if they had the fare. If the temperature were higher, the water would evaporate.
9.
would have, (used with a past participle to express unfulfilled intention or preference):
I would have saved you some but Jimmy took it all.
Idioms
10.
would like, (used to express desire):
I would like to go next year.
11.
would rather. rather (def 8).
Origin
before 900; Middle English, Old English wolde. See will1
Usage note
See should.

would2

[wohld] /woʊld/
noun
1.
weld2 .

will1

[wil] /wɪl/
auxiliary verb, present singular 1st person will, 2nd will or (Archaic) wilt, 3rd will, present plural will; past singular 1st person would, 2nd would or (Archaic) wouldst, 3rd would, past plural would; past participle (Obsolete) wold or would; imperative, infinitive, and pres. participle lacking.
1.
am (is, are, etc.) about or going to:
I will be there tomorrow. She will see you at dinner.
2.
am (is, are, etc.) disposed or willing to:
People will do right.
3.
am (is, are, etc.) expected or required to:
You will report to the principal at once.
4.
may be expected or supposed to:
You will not have forgotten him. This will be right.
5.
am (is, are, etc.) determined or sure to (used emphatically):
You would do it. People will talk.
6.
am (is, are, etc.) accustomed to, or do usually or often:
You will often see her sitting there. He would write for hours at a time.
7.
am (is, are, etc.) habitually disposed or inclined to:
Boys will be boys. After dinner they would read aloud.
8.
am (is, are, etc.) capable of; can:
This tree will live without water for three months.
9.
am (is, are, etc.) going to: I will bid you “Good night.”.
verb (used with object), verb (used without object), present singular 1st person will, 2nd will or (Archaic) wilt, 3rd will, present plural will; past singular 1st person would, 2nd would or (Archaic) wouldst, 3rd would, past plural would; past participle (Obsolete) wold or would; imperative, infinitive, and pres. participle lacking.
10.
to wish; desire; like: Go where you will.
Ask, if you will, who the owner is.
Origin
before 900; Middle English willen, Old English wyllan; cognate with Dutch willen, German wollen, Old Norse vilja, Gothic wiljan; akin to Latin velle to wish
Usage note
See shall.

will2

[wil] /wɪl/
noun
1.
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.
2.
power of choosing one's own actions:
to have a strong or a weak will.
3.
the act or process of using or asserting one's choice; volition:
My hands are obedient to my will.
4.
wish or desire:
to submit against one's will.
5.
purpose or determination, often hearty or stubborn determination; willfulness:
to have the will to succeed.
6.
the wish or purpose as carried out, or to be carried out:
to work one's will.
7.
disposition, whether good or ill, toward another.
8.
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, willing.
9.
to decide, bring about, or attempt to effect or bring about by an act of the will:
He can walk if he wills it.
10.
to purpose, determine on, or elect, by an act of will:
If he wills success, he can find it.
11.
to give or dispose of (property) by a will or testament; bequeath or devise.
12.
to influence by exerting will power:
She was willed to walk the tightrope by the hypnotist.
verb (used without object), willed, willing.
13.
to exercise the will:
To will is not enough, one must do.
14.
to decide or determine:
Others debate, but the king wills.
Idioms
15.
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
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 forms
willer, noun
Synonyms
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.
Examples from the web for would
  • They arise even when the conscious mind would prefer to hold them at bay.
  • But this would act as a restraint, and they would be dependent on each other.
  • All of these were the kind of poetry that would be read aloud at a symposium.
  • If it was, one would not need an organized special interest group to bring it about.
  • The nucleus of this group would then become known as acmeists.
  • Through this strike, they aim to demonstrate that without them society would fall apart.
  • Crowds would follow the planes to the field, purchase rides and watch the show.
  • Manga is a very poor fighter and would rather talk his way out of combat.
  • In truth, this who would grant is no longer directed to the beloved lover.
  • On a horizontal ground loom, the warp would be strung between two rows of pegs.
British Dictionary definitions for would

would

/wʊd; unstressed wəd/
verb takes an infinitive without to or an implied infinitive
1.
used as an auxiliary to form the past tense or subjunctive mood of will1
2.
with you, he, she, it, they, or a noun as subject. used as an auxiliary to indicate willingness or desire in a polite manner: would you help me, please?
3.
used as an auxiliary to describe a past action as being accustomed or habitual: every day we would go for walks
4.
I wish: would that he were here
should

will1

/wɪl/
verb (past) would takes an infinitive without to or an implied infinitive
1.
esp with you, he, she, it, they, or a noun as subject. used as an auxiliary to make the future tense Compare shall (sense 1)
2.
used as an auxiliary to express resolution on the part of the speaker: I will buy that radio if it's the last thing I do
3.
used as an auxiliary to indicate willingness or desire: will you help me with this problem?
4.
used as an auxiliary to express compulsion, as in commands: you will report your findings to me tomorrow
5.
used as an auxiliary to express capacity or ability: this rope will support a load
6.
used as an auxiliary to express probability or expectation on the part of the speaker: that will be Jim telephoning
7.
used as an auxiliary to express customary practice or inevitability: boys will be boys
8.
(with the infinitive always implied) used as an auxiliary to express desire: usually in polite requests: stay if you will
9.
what you will, whatever you like
10.
(informal) will do, a declaration of willingness to do what is requested
shall
Word Origin
Old English willan; related to Old Saxon willian, Old Norse vilja, Old High German wollen, Latin velle to wish, will

will2

/wɪl/
noun
1.
the faculty of conscious and deliberate choice of action; volition related adjectives voluntary volitive
2.
the act or an instance of asserting a choice
3.
  1. the declaration of a person's wishes regarding the disposal of his or her property after death related adjective testamentary
  2. a revocable instrument by which such wishes are expressed
4.
anything decided upon or chosen, esp by a person in authority; desire; wish
5.
determined intention: where there's a will there's a way
6.
disposition or attitude towards others: he bears you no ill will
7.
at will, at one's own desire, inclination, or choice
8.
with a will, heartily; energetically
9.
with the best will in the world, even with the best of intentions
verb (mainly transitive; often takes a clause as object or an infinitive)
10.
(also intransitive) to exercise the faculty of volition in an attempt to accomplish (something): he willed his wife's recovery from her illness
11.
to give (property) by will to a person, society, etc: he willed his art collection to the nation
12.
(also intransitive) to order or decree: the king wills that you shall die
13.
to choose or prefer: wander where you will
14.
to yearn for or desire: to will that one's friends be happy
Derived Forms
willer, noun
Word Origin
Old English willa; related to Old Norse vili, Old High German willeo (German Wille), Gothic wilja, Old Slavonic volja
Word Origin and History for would

Old English wolde, past tense of willan "to will" (see will (v.)). Would-be (adj.) "wishing, pretending" is first recorded c.1300.

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.

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 would

would

also see:
also see under:
wouldn't

will

In addition to the idiom beginning with
will
also see: