willful
Americanadjective
-
deliberate, voluntary, or intentional.
The coroner ruled the death willful murder.
- Synonyms:
- volitional;
-
unreasonably stubborn or headstrong; self-willed.
- Synonyms:
- adamant, obdurate, inflexible, pigheaded, refractory, contrary, intransigent
adjective
Related Words
Willful, headstrong, perverse, wayward refer to one who stubbornly insists upon doing as they please. Willful suggests a stubborn persistence in doing what one wishes, especially in opposition to those whose wishes or commands ought to be respected or obeyed: that willful child who disregarded his parents' advice. One who is headstrong is often foolishly, and sometimes violently, self-willed: reckless and headstrong youths. The perverse person is unreasonably or obstinately intractable or contrary, often with the express intention of being disagreeable: perverse out of sheer spite. Wayward in this sense has the connotation of rash wrongheadedness that gets one into trouble: a reform school for wayward teens.
Other Word Forms
- half-willful adjective
- half-willfulness noun
- unwillful adjective
- unwillfulness noun
- willfully adverb
- willfulness noun
Etymology
Origin of willful
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English; Old English wilful “willing”; will 2, -ful
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.
“There’s been no evidence presented that Mr. Price acted with any wrongful intent. No testimony from any witness … who said Mr. Price acted with willful intent,” Schafler said Wednesday.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 28, 2026
Industry executives were trusting themselves to the point of willful ignorance.
From Slate • Jan. 14, 2026
James Q. Wilson and George L. Kelling’s “broken windows” theory posited that crime is more than a willful act—it’s the product of a cultural atmosphere.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 9, 2025
After a certain point, a willful, proud ignorance masquerading as superior wisdom becomes a social menace and a stigma of poor citizenship.
From Salon • Nov. 1, 2025
I had new thoughts, willful thoughts, or rather thoughts filled with lots of won’ts.
From "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan
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.
