willingly

American  

[wil-ing-lee] / ˈwɪl ɪŋ li /

adverb

1. in a consenting and often cheerful way.

   They volunteer for duty on faraway battlefields, willingly putting their lives on the line to fight and possibly die for their country.

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Other Word Forms

• overwillingly adverb
• prewillingly adverb
• quasi-willingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of willingly

First recorded before 900; equivalent to willing ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )

Example Sentences

If Clare refused to enter the realms willingly, would he slowly dissipate into nothing?

From Literature

It is a sacrifice she made willingly, but she is under no illusions - not every fighter is lucky enough to have a family to catch them when they fall.

From BBC

So whenever anyone appeared at the gate, Marlene would always wander over with Karli and accept their offerings only too willingly.

From Literature

Some foreign fighters who join the Russian military do so willingly, attracted by the high pay relative to what they could earn back home.

From The Wall Street Journal

But after all the games missed and all the opportunities lost during the past 10 months, Arenas would never willingly give up another.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• cheerfully
• freely
• readily
• voluntarily