if you will
The phrase "if you will" is often used to soften requests, suggest alternative descriptions, or introduce nonstandard terms in conversation.
🇺🇸 US Voice:
🇬🇧 UK Voice:
Definition
B2Polite Requests
(formal, polite)Used to make a request or command sound more courteous.
Example
- Follow me, if you will.
C1Descriptive Language
(idiomatic, metaphorical)Used to suggest an alternative or nonstandard way of describing something.
Example
- He's a kind of modern-day knight, if you will.
C1Hedging Statements
(cautious, hedging)Used to soften the tone of a statement or to introduce a less conventional phrase.
Example
- This is, if you will, a new approach to solving the problem.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "if you will":