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Free will is an illusion. People always choose the perceived path of greatest pleasure.
Scott Adams

Meaning of "free will" in the English dictionary

Dictionary
DICTIONARY
section

PRONUNCIATION OF FREE WILL

free will play
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GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF FREE WILL

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Free will is a noun.
A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

WHAT DOES FREE WILL MEAN IN ENGLISH?

free will

Free will

Free will is the ability of agents to make choices unconstrained by certain factors. Factors of historical concern have included metaphysical constraints, physical constraints, social constraints, and mental constraints. The principle of free will has religious, legal, ethical, and scientific implications. For example, in the religious realm, free will implies that individual will and choices can coexist with an omnipotent divinity. In the law, it affects considerations of punishment and rehabilitation. In ethics, it may hold implications for whether individuals can be held morally accountable for their actions. In science, neuroscientific findings regarding free will may suggest different ways of predicting human behavior. A simplified taxonomy of philosophical positions regarding free will and determinism. Though it is a commonly-held intuition that we have free will, it has been widely debated throughout history not only whether that is true, but even how to define the concept of free will.

Definition of free will in the English dictionary

The definition of free will in the dictionary is the apparent human ability to make choices that are not externally determined. Other definition of free will is the ability to make a choice without coercion.

WORDS THAT BEGIN LIKE FREE WILL

free running
free sample
free shot
free silver
free skater
free skating
Free Soil Party
free space
free speech
free spirit
Free State
Free Territory of Trieste
free thought
free throw
free trade
free verse
free vibration
free vote
Free World
free zone

WORDS THAT END LIKE FREE WILL

at will
cavalry twill
free-will
general will
goodwill
ill will
iron will
living will
pigswill
poorwill
self-will
six o´clock swill
swill
twill
unwill
what you will
whippoorwill
will
with a will

Synonyms and antonyms of free will in the English dictionary of synonyms

SYNONYMS

Translation of «free will» into 25 languages

TRANSLATOR
online translator

TRANSLATION OF FREE WILL

Find out the translation of free will to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.
The translations of free will from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «free will» in English.

Translator English - Chinese

自由意志
1,325 millions of speakers

Translator English - Spanish

libre albedrío
570 millions of speakers

English

free will
510 millions of speakers

Translator English - Hindi

मर्जी
380 millions of speakers
ar

Translator English - Arabic

الإرادة الحرة
280 millions of speakers

Translator English - Russian

свободная воля
278 millions of speakers

Translator English - Portuguese

livre-arbítrio
270 millions of speakers

Translator English - Bengali

মুক্ত ইচ্ছা
260 millions of speakers

Translator English - French

le libre arbitre
220 millions of speakers

Translator English - Malay

kehendak sendiri
190 millions of speakers

Translator English - German

freien Willen
180 millions of speakers

Translator English - Japanese

自由意志
130 millions of speakers

Translator English - Korean

자유 의지
85 millions of speakers

Translator English - Javanese

Bakal bebas
85 millions of speakers
vi

Translator English - Vietnamese

ý chí tự do
80 millions of speakers

Translator English - Tamil

இலவச விருப்பம்
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Marathi

मोफत इच्छा
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Turkish

Özgür irade
70 millions of speakers

Translator English - Italian

libero arbitrio
65 millions of speakers

Translator English - Polish

wolna wola
50 millions of speakers

Translator English - Ukrainian

вільна воля
40 millions of speakers

Translator English - Romanian

liberul arbitru
30 millions of speakers
el

Translator English - Greek

ελεύθερη βούληση
15 millions of speakers
af

Translator English - Afrikaans

vrye wil
14 millions of speakers
sv

Translator English - Swedish

fri vilja
10 millions of speakers
no

Translator English - Norwegian

fri vilje
5 millions of speakers

Trends of use of free will

TRENDS

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «FREE WILL»

The term «free will» is quite widely used and occupies the 29.019 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.
0
100%
FREQUENCY
Quite widely used
87
/100
The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «free will» in the different countries.
Principal search tendencies and common uses of free will
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «free will».

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «FREE WILL» OVER TIME

The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «free will» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «free will» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.

Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about free will

EXAMPLES

10 QUOTES WITH «FREE WILL»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word free will.
1
Lynn Abbey
I'm one of those writers who, when writing, believes she's god-and that she hasn't bestowed free will on any of her characters. In that sense there are no surprises in any of my books.
2
Scott Adams
Free will is an illusion. People always choose the perceived path of greatest pleasure.
3
David Augsburger
Ontologically, chocolate raises profoundly disturbing questions: Does not chocolate offer natural revelation of the goodness of the Creator just as chilies disclose a divine sense of humor? Is the human born with an innate longing for chocolate? Does the notion of chocolate preclude the concept of free will?
4
Ugo Betti
This free will business is a bit terrifying anyway. It's almost pleasanter to obey, and make the most of it.
5
Dean Cain
Some people believe God is involved in every little decision we make. Some people believe you're given the free will to make the decisions. Sometimes people believe God is not involved at all.
6
Anselm of Canterbury
Remove grace, and you have nothing whereby to be saved. Remove free will and you have nothing that could be saved.
7
Orson Scott Card
God, our genes, our environment, or some stupid programmer keying in code at an ancient terminal - there's no way free will can ever exist if we as individuals are the result of some external cause.
8
Deepak Chopra
Many scientists think that philosophy has no place, so for me it's a sad time because the role of reflection, contemplation, meditation, self inquiry, insight, intuition, imagination, creativity, free will, is in a way not given any importance, which is the domain of philosophers.
9
Agatha Christie
There's too much tendency to attribute to God the evils that man does of his own free will.
10
Francis Collins
God gave us free will, and we may choose to exercise it in ways that end up hurting other people.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «FREE WILL»

Discover the use of free will in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to free will and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
1
Free Will
In this enlightening book, Sam Harris argues that this truth about the human mind does not undermine morality or diminish the importance of social and political freedom, but it can and should change the way we think about some of the most ...
Sam Harris, 2012
2
Elbow Room: The Varieties of Free Will Worth Wanting
Essays discuss reason, self-control, self-definition, time, cause and effect, accidents, and responsibility, and explain why people want free will
Daniel Clement Dennett, 1984
3
The Neural Basis of Free Will: Criterial Causation
The issues of mental causation, consciousness, and free will have vexed philosophers since Plato. In this book, Peter Tse examines these unresolved issues from a neuroscientific perspective.
Peter Tse, 2013
4
Who's in Charge?: Free Will and the Science of the Brain
An extraordinary book, combining a light touch with profound implications, Who's in Charge? is a lasting contribution from one of the leading thinkers of our time.
Michael Gazzaniga, 2012
5
The Oxford Handbook of Free Will: Second Edition
Special attention is given to research on free will of the first decade of the twenty-first century since the publication of the first edition of the Handbook. All the essays have been newly written or rewritten for this volume.
Robert Kane, 2011
6
Predestination & Free Will
If God is in control, are people really free? This question has bothered Christians for centuries. And answers have covered a wide spectrum. Today Christians still disagree.
David Basinger, Randall Basinger, 2009
7
Free Will
These are just some of the questions considered by Joseph Keim Campbell in this lively and accessible introduction to the concept of free will.
Joseph Keim Campbell, 2013
8
The Nonsense of Free Will: Facing Up to a False Belief
Did Myra Hindley deserve to be punished?
Richard Oerton, 2012
9
Free Will and Determinism: A Dialogue
"Nicely conceived, very clearly written. . . . A high level of philosophic substance and sophistication." -- David M Mowry, SUNY at Plattsburgh
Clifford Williams, 1980
10
Free Will: The Basics
Because these questions are discussed without prejudicing one view over others and all technical terminology is clearly explained, this book is an ideal introduction to free will for the uninitiated.
Meghan Griffith, 2013

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «FREE WILL»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term free will is used in the context of the following news items.
1
Adrian, Geer Top 50 Free in Day 3 Prelims of L.A. Invite
Day 3 prelims at the Los Angeles Invitational set the foundation for exciting races between some of the world's top swimmers. The 50 free will ... «SwimSwam, Jul 15»
2
Watch UFC 188: McGregor vs. Mendes live stream online free, fight …
On Saturday night, the watch UFC 189 live stream online free will return to Las Vegas, Nevada with an intriguing night of fights spearheaded by ... «The Daily Gazette, Jul 15»
3
Review: 'Genius at Play: The Curious Mind of John Horton Conway'
He calls it the “Free Will Theorem.” The theorem uses quantum mechanics as well as geometry and philosophy to try to prove that if human ... «Buffalo News, Jul 15»
4
Pastors plan Summer Gospel Rally
Planning for the annual summer revival at Olivet Free Will Baptist Church began in January as it usually does. Establishing various committees ... «Clarksville Leaf Chronicle, Jul 15»
5
No more bars for Florida State players
Unfortunately, MANY of us will use that free will thing to do some really DUMB (sometimes criminal) things. Unless somewhere along the line, ... «NBCSports.com, Jul 15»
6
One girl, one mustang: Documenting a triumph of free will
The question: What sort of success could one expect in only a year if the free will of a wild horse was at play? Day after day a language was ... «Horsetalk, Jul 15»
7
Free Will Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19) How can you fulfill your potential as an Aries? What strategies will help you become the best Aries you can possibly ... «Las Vegas Weekly, Jul 15»
8
BJX Torah Center Presents Tonight: Is Evolution a Problem? How …
BJX Torah Center Presents Tonight: Is Evolution a Problem? How does Free Will work? (Wednesday, July 8th, 2015) ... «Yeshiva World News, Jul 15»
9
Black Oak Free Will Baptist Church Homecoming
The Black Oak Free Will Baptist Church Homecoming will be held Sunday, July 12. Sunday School starts at 10 a.m., followed by the Worship ... «Vinton County Courier, Jul 15»
10
2 Girls Visiting LA From Vietnam Reported Missing Left Tour Group …
... visiting Los Angeles from Vietnam who were originally reported missing left the airport on their own free will and apparently with their family's ... «CBS Local, Jul 15»

REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. Free will [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/free-will>. May 2024 ».
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