unwilling
Americanadjective
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not willing; reluctant; loath; averse.
an unwilling partner in the crime.
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opposed; offering resistance; stubborn or obstinate; refractory.
an unwilling captive.
adjective
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unfavourably inclined; reluctant
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performed, given, or said with reluctance
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of unwilling
before 900; Old English unwillende (not recorded in ME); see un- 1, willing
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.
It is governed by a strict policy of "complementarity", meaning it can only take on cases a suspect's home country is unwilling or unable to try itself.
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
At the same time that layoffs are skipping along at historic lows, most businesses are also unwilling to bring on lots of new workers.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
Unaware or unwilling to acknowledge how much our parents have sacrificed to get us here.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
He resigned in June, accusing the Treasury of being unwilling to provide the resources needed to defend the country.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
The paradox—and a fearful paradox it is—is that the American Negro can have no future anywhere, on any continent, as long as he is unwilling to accept his past.
From "The Fire Next Time" by James Baldwin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
