willingly
Americanadverb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of willingly
First recorded before 900; equivalent to willing ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )
Explanation
If you do something willingly, you're perfectly happy to do it. Invite your friends to join you for hot fudge sundaes, your treat, and they'll willingly come along. When a person acts willingly, they are doing something of their own free will — in other words, they're glad to do it. Sometimes it's a no-brainer: you'll willingly jump in your aunt's waiting car when she offers to drive you home from school on a rainy day. At other times, doing something willingly is a marker of your good nature, like when you willingly step in to help your friend move.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Some filmmakers willingly sought their money, Sivanandhan recalled, in arrangements that could benefit both sides and proved difficult for police to dismantle.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
Tanden willingly participates in the roasting, and as a woman of color, she’s destined to be on the brunt end of the internet, but as far as she’s concerned, it’s all been worth it.
From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2026
When the time came for Elliott Appel’s dad to stop driving, he willingly gave up his car keys.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026
He is the man to whom those who believe in freedom and democracy now look for leadership, and we should all be grateful that he has willingly taken on the role.
From Salon ● Sep. 24, 2026
She had the same thought Katie had had seventeen years ago dancing with Johnny—that she’d willingly accept any sacrifice or hardship if she could only have this man near her for always.
From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
