Added 9 October 2026
wish
/ˈwɪʃ/ noun
In Latin: desiderium, cupiditas, studium Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about wish at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
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A desire, hope, or longing for something or for something to happen.
It is my wish that the bequest (should) be given to an almshouse.
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An expression of such a desire, often connected with ideas of magic and supernatural power.
make a wish
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The thing desired or longed for.
My dearest wish is to see them happily married.
verb
Origin
From Middle English wisshen, wischen, wüschen, from Old English wȳsċan (“to wish”), from Proto-West Germanic *wunskijan, from Proto-Germanic *wunskijaną (“to wish”), from Proto-Indo-European *wenh₁- (“to wish, love”). Cognate with Scots wis (“to wish”), Saterland Frisian wonskje (“to wish”), West Frisian winskje (“to wish”), Dutch wensen (“to wish”), German wünschen (“to wish”), Luxembourgish wënschen (“to wish”), Yiddish ווינטשן (vintshn, “to wish”), Danish and Norwegian Bokmål ønske (“to wish”), Faroese ynskja (“to wish, to desire”), Icelandic æskja, óska (“to wish”), Norwegian Nynorsk ønskja, ønskje, ønska, ønske, ynskja, ynskje (“to wish, to desire”), Swedish önska (“to wish”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)