Meaning of free will in English

free will

noun [ U ]

/ˌfriː ˈwɪl/ us

/ˌfriː ˈwɪl/

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the ability to decide what to do independently of any outside influence:

Theories of criminal liability presume that we exercise free will.

Will artificial intelligences become endowed with free will?

of your own free will No one told me to do it - I did it of my own free will.

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He preached that evil done by humans is a necessary consequence of free will given to us by God.
Nobody seemed to credit him with any free will or responsibility in the matter.
In this philosophy the universe just seems like a big machine with little room for free will.
She said that she had resigned of her own free will.
Everyone gave generously and of their own free will.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

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(Definition of free will from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

free will | American Dictionary

free will

noun [ U ]

us/ˈfri ˈwɪl/

Add to word list Add to word list

the ability to act and make choices independent of any outside influence:

She signed the confession of her own free will.

(Definition of free will from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Examples of free will

free will

Is the free will we seem to experience just an illusion?

From the Cambridge English Corpus

There are few libertarians who believe free will is not central to the meaning and character of human life.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

However, if the loss of some control proves against free will, regaining some must prove for it.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Thus, experiencing the illusion of free will does have consequences.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

The usual clash fails on both sides because free will is a feeling, whereas determinism is a process.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Should we assume that we no longer have free will?

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Jevons, like many of his contemporaries, simply dropped the metaphysics of free will from the list of things that successful human science needed to support.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Many pursued their tasks, in science as well, without bothering much with the limits or non-limits of predestination and free will.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

In other words, many libertarians have believed that the exercise of free will extends to most of the actions of free agents.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Thus, it may seem that we must solve the problem of free will before going further.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

However, since our actions depend on our free will, we are fully responsible for our choices and bear the blame or praise.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Let me conclude with a remark about what follows from arguments like these which question the success of the free will defence.

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However, he fails to consider the behavior of other species - do other species experience free will and if not, are they amoral and psychologically unhealthy?

From the Cambridge English Corpus

If there is no free will, then no one's contribution is freely produced, and no one deserves anything.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

As a result, we seek to enhance our autonomy of our own free will, for example through the application of the various psychological therapies available.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

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These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.

What is the pronunciation of free will?

Translations of free will

in Chinese (Traditional)

自由意志…

Meaning of free will in English

free will | American Dictionary

Examples of free will

Translations of free will

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