willingly

[wil-ing-lee]

adverb

1. in a consenting and often cheerful way.

   They volunteer for duty on faraway battlefields, willingly putting their lives on the line to fight and possibly die for their country.

Other Word Forms

• overwillingly adverb
• prewillingly adverb
• quasi-willingly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of willingly¹

First recorded before 900; equivalent to willing ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )

Example Sentences

During his neighborhood walkabouts, Sliwa willingly stops to pose for photos with young people, part of his strategy to build visibility on social media.

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Of course, some universities will sign it willingly.

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"You willingly and without any excuse chose to ignore the laws of the road."

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So, why then do so some folks willingly crave foods that make their mouths pucker and tongues tingle?

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“I feel kind of defensive right now, more so a test of my character, like I’m going to willingly do that,” Trammell said.

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Related Words

• cheerfully www.thesaurus.com
• freely 
• readily 
• voluntarily