willfully

American  

[wil-fuh-lee] / ˈwɪl fə li /

Or wilfully

adverb

1. deliberately or intentionally; on purpose.

   Any seller who knowingly or willfully certifies false statements is subject to fine and imprisonment.

2. in an unreasonably stubborn or headstrong way.

   The student disrupted school activities and willfully defied the authority of teachers, administrators, and other school employees.

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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

The government basically contends that willfully turning a blind eye to something you know is going on is tantamount to not knowing.

From Los Angeles Times

Aggregators willfully take advantage of news avoidance, narrow attention spans and short fuses.

From Salon

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

To secure conviction, prosecutors must prove a falsehood was made “knowingly and willfully” and be “materially” false, fictitious or fraudulent.

From The Wall Street Journal

Well, as New York Times columnist Carlos Lozada recently observed, that question is willfully stupid.

From Salon

Related Words

• consciously
• knowingly
• pointedly
• purposely
• studiously
• voluntarily