against one's will



against one's will

Without one's consent, forcibly, as in The defendant knew he could not be made to testify against his will. Originally one meaning of will was "acquiescence" or "consent," but this sense survives only in this idiom, which today nearly always implies some use of force. [c. 1400]
See also: will

Common Names:

NameGenderPronouncedUsage
Pantaleonepahn-tah-le-ON-eItalian
Xochiquetzal-Aztec and Toltec Mythology
Titas-Lithuanian
KatrÍN-Icelandic
Michalis-Greek
Pons-French (Rare)