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

Between explosions of action, it’s willfully slow, which I suppose life on a desert island might be.

From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2026

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

But a source told the BBC: "To argue publicly that there was just one complaint is willfully misleading. They were presented to London in one dossier, but there were multiple complaints."

From BBC • Feb. 17, 2026

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

From Salon • Jan. 21, 2026

She’d ask my advice and then willfully ignore it.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Related Words

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