# Wills

/ˈwɪɫz/ (US) · /wˈɪlz/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/wills
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. legal documents

noun · CEFR B2

legal papers that say who should receive a person's money and property after they die.

For teachers: legal instruments expressing a person's wishes as to the disposition of their property after death.

- The lawyer kept the original wills of the entire family in a fireproof safe.
- The solicitor spent the afternoon reviewing several wills to ensure the codicils were properly witnessed and legally binding.

### 2. mental determination

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

the mental power used to control your own thoughts and actions.

For teachers: the mental faculty by which one deliberately chooses or decides upon a course of action.

- It was a battle of wills between the two stubborn leaders.
- The negotiation became a clash of wills, with neither party willing to concede on the primary contractual terms.

### 3. third-person singular action

verb · CEFR C1 · Literary

to want something to happen or to make it happen by using mental power.

For teachers: to intend, desire, or wish something to happen; to exercise the power of volition.

- He wills himself to stay awake even though he is exhausted.
- The protagonist wills the events to unfold in his favour, though the narrative suggests fate has other plans.

### 4. to leave property

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

to give property to someone in a legal document after death.

For teachers: to bequeath or give property to another by means of a legal will.

- She wills her antique collection to the local museum in her final testament.
- In the final draft of the document, he wills his entire estate to a charitable foundation rather than his distant relatives.

## Examples

- The lawyer keeps the family's wills in a safe.
- After the funeral, the attorney met with the relatives to read the various wills and distribute the inheritance.
- Legal experts recommend that individuals update their wills after significant life events, such as marriage or the birth of a child, to ensure their assets are distributed according to their current intentions.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.