ENGLISH
REFERENCE

wil

v.
C2 Proficiency US //ˈwɪɫ// wil Archaic

v. to want or desire something. This is a very old word that people do not use in modern conversation.

v. to desire, wish, or want. A Middle and early Modern English transitive verb; now restricted to archaic or poetic contexts.


SIMPLE

He may do what he wil with his own.

CONTEXTUAL

The knight declared he would go wherever his lady might wil him to travel.

COMPLEX

In the ancient texts, the gods would often wil the hero toward a fate he could not possibly escape, regardless of his own mortal desires.

Usage

Archaic spelling of 'will' used as a lexical verb meaning 'to desire'; distinct from the modern modal auxiliary verb.

Pitfall

I wil go to the storeI will go to the storeThe spelling 'wil' is archaic; modern English uses 'will' for both the future auxiliary and the verb meaning to desire.

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