William

American  

[wil-yuhm] / ˈwɪl yəm /

noun

1. Prince William Duke of Cornwall and Cambridge, born 1982, heir apparent to the throne of the United Kingdom (son of Charles III).

2. a word formerly used in communications to represent the letter W.

3. a male given name: from Germanic words meaning “will” and “helmet.”

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William British  

/ ˈwɪljəm /

noun

1. known as William the Lion. ?1143–1214, king of Scotland (1165–1214)

2. Prince. born 1982, Duke of Cambridge, first son of Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales. In 2011 he married Kate Middleton (born 1982); their son, Prince George, was born in 2013

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Example Sentences

William Miller, an English artilleryman, joined the Peruvian fight against imperial Spain and became a pivotal figure in Peru’s bid for independence.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

For X Money’s beta program, Musk leaned on both employees and a fundraiser from “Star Trek” actor William Shatner to invite participation.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 16, 2026

If an editor long ago thought there wasn’t enough going on there, he was overlooking William Faulkner’s Yoknapatawpha County, Mississippi, a fictional place with boundless stories.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

Prosecuting barrister William Carter said Miller had used the B1050 because of heavy traffic on bigger roads and as he drove through Willingham, the crane boom "slewed" to the nearside.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

In early March, General William Westmoreland, commander of American forces in Vietnam, requested that two battalions of marines be sent to Vietnam to help guard the American airfield at Da Nang in central Vietnam.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin