Meaning & use
willfulness
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Meanings
noununcountable
The quality of stubbornly doing what you want, even when others advise against it.
Grammar: Uncountable; used with singular verbs. It can be followed by 'in' + -ing form: his willfulness in refusing help.
Patterns
- willfulness in doing something
- the willfulness of someone
Her willfulness in ignoring the safety rules put everyone at risk.
The child's willfulness made it hard for his parents to set limits.
He showed a streak of willfulness that worried his teachers.
noununcountablelegallaw
In law, the fact of acting intentionally or with a bad purpose, especially in breaking a rule.
Grammar: Used in legal contexts, often with 'of' to show the act: the willfulness of the violation.
Patterns
- the willfulness of an act
- a finding of willfulness
The court had to decide whether the willfulness of the defendant's actions justified a harsher penalty.
The lawyer argued that there was no willfulness in the mistake, so the fine should be reduced.
Common combinations
- sheer willfulness
- It was sheer willfulness that made him continue despite the warnings.
- willfulness and stubbornness
- His willfulness and stubbornness often got him into trouble.
- act of willfulness
- The judge described the crime as an act of willfulness, not an accident.
- willfulness in refusing
- Her willfulness in refusing to cooperate surprised everyone.
Synonyms and how they differ
- stubbornness
- Stubbornness is more general and can be neutral or negative; willfulness often suggests a deliberate choice to defy others.
- obstinacy
- Obstinacy is stronger and more disapproving, suggesting an unreasonable refusal to change.
- self-will
- Self-will is similar but focuses on a person's own desires rather than on defiance of others.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: willfulness or willingness?
willfulness vs willingness
Willingness means being ready and happy to do something; willfulness means being stubborn and determined to do what you want, often against advice.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'willfulness' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Option 1 is correct because 'willfulness in ignoring the rules' shows the typical pattern of stubbornly defying rules. Option 0 uses 'willfulness to help', which is wrong because willfulness is not about willingness to help. Option 2 suggests a positive quality, but willfulness is usually negative. Option 3 uses 'willfulness' for a team, but it typically describes an individual's stubbornness.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “willfulness”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.