Willful

How to spell willful

7 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce willful

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does willful mean?

1. adjectiveStubbornly determined to do as one wants, ignoring advice or instruction.
2. adjectiveDone on purpose and with full intent, especially when something harmful or wrong results.

Willful in a sentence

• The willful toddler refused to put on his shoes.

• The insurer denied the claim, citing willful damage to the property.

• Her willful streak made her ignore every warning from the manager.

• The court found the breach was willful rather than accidental.

Where does willful come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This word is built from two native English pieces. The first is the noun 'will', which descends from Old English 'willa', meaning desire, intention, or the faculty of choosing, and which itself goes back to a Germanic root tied to wanting and wishing. The second is the suffix '-ful', from Old English 'full', meaning literally 'full of' or 'given to'. Put together as 'wilful' in early Middle English, it described a person who was 'full of will', that is, determined to follow their own desires whatever others advised. Over time the sense split into two practical strands: being headstrong or obstinate, and acting deliberately rather than by accident. The spelling 'willful', with two l's, is the standard American form and keeps both the l of 'will' and the l of '-ful' visible, whereas British writers drop one to give 'wilful'.

How the word is built

• will (Old English willa: desire, intention)
• -ful (full of, given to)