unwilling

American  

[uhn-wil-ing] / ʌnˈwɪl ɪŋ /

adjective

1. not willing; reluctant; loath; averse.

   an unwilling partner in the crime.

2. opposed; offering resistance; stubborn or obstinate; refractory.

   an unwilling captive.

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unwilling British  

/ ʌnˈwɪlɪŋ /

adjective

1. unfavourably inclined; reluctant

2. performed, given, or said with reluctance

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Other Word Forms

• unwillingly adverb
• unwillingness noun

Etymology

Origin of unwilling

before 900; Old English unwillende (not recorded in ME); un- ¹, willing

Example Sentences

Absent a much larger U.S. military operation, they might be unwilling to cooperate.

From The Wall Street Journal

That October, Ernst & Young resigned as the server maker’s auditor, saying it was unwilling to be “associated with the financial statements prepared by management.”

From Barron's

With all due respect to the experts, how will they prevent fraud if their client remains unwilling to enact proven reforms to discourage it?

From The Wall Street Journal

It’s one of the reasons we’re unwilling to hand over detailed maps of our homelands and cultural sites to anyone, let alone a foreign government.

From The Wall Street Journal

Attorneys argued in the emergency motion that many class members detained at the detention facility need urgent medical care “that medical staff at the facility are unable or unwilling to provide.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• afraid
• averse
• compelled
• evasive
• forced
• loath
• reluctant
• resistant
• unenthusiastic