ENGLISH
REFERENCE

willie

n. countable
A1 Beginner US //ˈwɪɫi// UK //wˈɪli// willie

n. a common short name for a man named William. It is a friendly or casual way to address someone.

n. a diminutive form of the masculine given name William. Primarily used as a familiar or informal hypocorism.


SIMPLE

My uncle Willie lives in a small house by the sea.

CONTEXTUAL

The local mechanic, known to everyone as Willie, has fixed cars in this neighborhood for thirty years.

COMPLEX

While his legal documents all bore the name William, he insisted that even his business associates address him as Willie to maintain a personable atmosphere.

Origin

From Will + -ie.

Usage

As a proper noun, it is almost always capitalized.

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