Unwillingness

How to spell unwillingness

13 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce unwillingness

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does unwillingness mean?

1. nounA lack of desire or readiness to do something; reluctance.

Unwillingness in a sentence

• Her unwillingness to relocate cost the company a key deal.

• The manager's unwillingness to delegate slowed the whole project.

Where does unwillingness come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This is a thoroughly native English word, built entirely from Old English parts rather than borrowed from abroad. At its core is 'will', from the Old English 'willa', meaning desire, wish, or intention, which is closely related to the verb 'willan', to want or to be willing. The adjective 'willing' developed from this, describing someone ready or inclined to act, and adding the negative prefix 'un-' produced 'unwilling', meaning disinclined or reluctant. Finally the noun-forming suffix '-ness', also Old English, turned the adjective into an abstract noun naming the state of being unwilling. The stacking of three suffix-like endings (-ing, -ness) onto a negated root is what gives the word its long but perfectly regular spelling, and it explains why the double consonants line up the way they do.

How the word is built

• un- (not)
• will (Old English willa: desire, intention)
• -ing (forming an adjective from the verb)
• -ness (noun-forming suffix denoting a state or quality)