(a) To have desire for something; want something to occur, wish;—sometimes with so or thus; ~ after, long for (sth.); ben willinge of, be desirous of (sth.), wish for; (b) to wish for (sth.), desire, want; also, to hunger for (sth.), find appetizing; (c) to wish for (a king, husband, wife, or child); also, have sexual desire for (sb.), lust for; ~ to, desire (sb.) as (wife); (d) to wish (sb. good, harm, peace, etc.); ~ to, wish (honor, evil, harm, etc.) for (sb.); il-willande, ivele-willinge, wel-willinge, q.v.; (e) to desire (that sb. do sth., sth. be so, etc.), wish;—occas. with hit as grammatical obj. preceding that clause; ~ to crist (god), wish sincerely or very much (that sth. might be so); (f) to wish (to do sth., be so, etc.), desire;—with inf. preceded by to or forto except in quots. c1454 & a1500(?a1450); ?impers. willeth me, I desire (to do sth.); ppl. willinge, wishing (to do sth.); (g) to want (sb. to do sth., be sb., etc.); desire or wish (sth. to occur or end); ppl. willed, of an action or a mode of conduct: desired; (h) gram. of the optative mood: to express a wish or desire.

(a) To be willing; accede to an action, consent; agree to or with a proposal or an idea; also, exercise volition; be compliant or amenable (toward a proposition); ppl. nellendre as adj.: expressing reluctance or unwillingness; (b) to consent or accede to (sth.); permit (sth.); (c) to consent (that sth. happens or is so); concur, agree; ben willed; (d) to be willing (to do sth.), agree, consent; ppl. willinge, of a body: fit or able (to undergo a treatment); (e) in expressions of strong desire or longing: wolde god (jesu, min lord, etc.), god wolde, etc., if only God (Christ, etc.) would grant (that sth. happen); (f) ppl. willinge as quasi-adv.: willingly; willinge and witinge.

(a) To intend (to do sth.), plan; (b) ppl. willinge as quasi-adv.: ?intentionally.

Of God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Virgin Mary, or a pagan deity: (a) to have a design for events, intend; ordain, decree;—freq. in parenthetical expressions; as crist (god, oure lord) wolde, so so crist (god) wolde, as Christ (God) intended; if crist (god) wille, a god wille, etc., if Christ (God) will, if it is Christ’s (God’s) intention; whanne god wille, when God wills; (b) to ordain (sth.), intend; (c) to ordain (that sb. do sth., sth. be so, etc.), intend; (d) to intend (sb. to do sth. or be in a place, sth. to prosper, etc.).

(a) To mean (sth.), signify; (b) to record an event; also, relate (sth.), convey.

(a) To give directions, direct; also, issue an order to (sb.); (b) to direct (sb. that he do sth.); (c) to charge (sb. to do sth. or be sb.); (d) to order (sth.); order (that sb. do sth., sth. be done, etc.); direct (sth. to be so).

(a) To direct in a will (that sb. do sth., sth. be done, etc.); (b) to charge (sb.) in a will (that he do sth. or sth. be done); direct (sb. to be an executor); (c) to bequeath (sth. to sb. or an institution); also, will (to sb. to receive a sum of money) [quot. 1444].

(a) To require something to be done, demand an action, dictate; (b) to require (an action or a condition), demand; also with inf. phrase as obj. [quot. c1400(a1376)]; also, designate (a number) [quot. c1400(c1378), 2nd]; (c) to dictate (that sb. do sth. or sth. happen), require;—occas. with hit or this as grammatical obj. preceding that clause.

(a) To be pleased with (sb.); delight in (sth.), like; ~ nought (not) of, not like (sth.); (b) to choose a course of action; have preference for a certain manner, location, or direction; hou-so he wille, however he pleases, as he likes; loke hou he wille (wolde), however he pleases (pleased); wher (whider) he wolde, wher-so he willen, whider-ever he wolde, etc.; (c) to prefer (sb., sth., an action, or a place), choose.

As modal auxiliary expressing wish or desire: to want (to do sth.), wish: (a) present form; shal ~; (b) present form with implied inf.; (c) present form in past context; also with implied inf. [quot. ?c1421]; (d) past form with present meaning; (e) past form with present meaning with implied inf.;—freq. in proverb; (f) past form with past meaning; (g) past form with past meaning with implied inf.

As modal auxiliary expressing modest wish or assertion: would like (to do sth.): (a) present form; (b) past form with present meaning; (c) past form with present meaning with implied inf.

As modal auxiliary expressing intention or purpose: to intend (to do sth.), mean: (a) present form with present or future meaning; shal ~; (b) present form with implied inf.; (c) present form in past context; (d) past form with present meaning; also with implied inf. [quot. a1470]; (e) past form with past meaning; also with implied inf. [quots. c1275 (2nd) & ?a1450].

As modal auxiliary expressing immediate intention: to have in mind (to do sth.): (a) present form;—freq. in narrative; (b) present form with implied inf.; (c) present form in past context; (d) past form with present meaning; (e) past form with past meaning; also with implied inf.

As modal auxiliary expressing unfulfilled or frustrated wish, unrealized or failed intention: would (have done sth.): past form with past meaning; also with present or future meaning.

As modal auxiliary expressing action or an event planned, prepared, designed, etc.: to arrange (to do sth.), prepare; be calculated or set (to do sth.) [sometimes difficult to distinguish from sense 11.]: (a) present form with present or future meaning; (b) past form with past meaning.

As modal auxiliary expressing attempt or endeavor: to try (to do sth.), undertake: (a) present form; (b) past form with present meaning; (c) past form with past meaning.

As modal auxiliary expressing a command, decree, direction, etc.;—usu. with negative: wille (thou) not, nille thou, ne willeth ye, etc., do not (do sth.); also, with positive: wille severen, note (that sth. is the case) [quot. a1425 Dial.Reason & A.].

As hortatory auxiliary expressing a suggestion or proposal: wille we, we wille, etc., let us (do sth.).

As modal auxiliary expressing willingness: to be willing (to do sth.), be disposed: (a) present form; (b) present form with implied inf. [occas. difficult to distinguish from sense 2.(a)]; (c) past form with present meaning; also with implied inf. [quots. a1375 1st & c1450]; (d) past form with past meaning; (e) past form with past meaning with implied inf.