self-will

American  

[self-wil, self-] / ˌsɛlfˈwɪl, ˈsɛlf- /

noun

1. stubborn or obstinate willfulness, as in pursuing one's own wishes, aims, etc.

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self-will British  

noun

1. stubborn adherence to one's own will, desires, etc, esp at the expense of others

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Other Word Forms

• self-willed adjective
• self-willedly adverb
• self-willedness noun

Etymology

Origin of self-will

before 900; Middle English: one's own will, stubbornness; Old English: one's own will; self, will ²

Example Sentences

“My self-will had to be abandoned because my self-will was killing me,” Irsay said.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 27, 2022

It also evokes the determination, the self-will, of countless immigrants who have chosen to make and call America their home.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 16, 2021

Thus, as Cooley’s film quickens and deepens, we get a fabulous running joke about the “inner voice,” a staple of American self-will since the days of Emerson.

From The New Yorker • Jun. 21, 2019

In freedom, the self-will that black women had demonstrated while enslaved had room to blossom.

From Slate • Nov. 28, 2017

It may convince my mother that there is more than mere self-will and love of notoriety in my work.

From The War-Workers by Delafield, E.M.