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
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.
Now, some health workers are willfully violating those rules in protest over unpaid wages, say aid workers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
They often must provide evidence that the government willfully violated a policy or otherwise deviated from its charge — that is, did something irregular — to overcome the standard.
From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026
This is a willfully ignorant reading of the current reality of the country’s electoral politics, but Anthony Liuzzo was unsurprised by it.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
“They willfully participated in his scams. They deserved to lose every penny,” another user wrote.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 2, 2026
Though he knew Lord Eddard was dead, sometimes Rickon forgot . . . willfully, Bran suspected.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
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.
