Meaning & use
shall
Last updated
Used, especially in formal English, to express future action or a strong intention, obligation, or promise.
See it in a sentence
We shall overcome the challenges ahead of us.
The contract states that payment shall be made within thirty days.
A note on using this word
In everyday speech "will" has largely replaced "shall," but "shall" still appears in formal writing, legal documents, and questions like "Shall we begin?"
Words with a similar meaning
will
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “shall”, then compare your use with the examples above.
Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.