willfully
Americanadverb
-
deliberately or intentionally; on purpose.
Any seller who knowingly or willfully certifies false statements is subject to fine and imprisonment.
-
in an unreasonably stubborn or headstrong way.
The student disrupted school activities and willfully defied the authority of teachers, administrators, and other school employees.
Other Word Forms
- half-wilfully adverb
- half-willfully adverb
- unwilfully adverb
- unwillfully adverb
Etymology
Origin of willfully
First recorded before 1000; equivalent to willful ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )
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.
As more flights return, “the potential for airliners being targeted either willfully or by error will increase dramatically,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 2026
Lawyers for the group contend the city is willfully obfuscating to cover up its inadequate efforts to live up to its settlement.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 16, 2026
Well, as New York Times columnist Carlos Lozada recently observed, that question is willfully stupid.
From Salon • Jan. 3, 2026
Sara Grillo, a New York City-based marketing consultant and chartered financial analyst, warns consumers to steer clear of any adviser “who unquestionably willfully deceived someone.”
From MarketWatch • Dec. 12, 2025
He only called me E’lir when he thought I was being especially willfully obstinate.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
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.
