willing

adjective

will·ing | \ ˈwi-liŋ

Definition of willing

1 : inclined or favorably disposed in mind : ready willing and eager to help

2 : prompt to act or respond lending a willing hand

3 : done, borne, or accepted by choice or without reluctance a willing sacrifice

4 : of or relating to the will or power of choosing : volitional

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Choose the Right Synonym for willing

voluntary, intentional, deliberate, willing mean done or brought about of one's own will. voluntary implies freedom and spontaneity of choice or action without external compulsion. a voluntary confession intentional stresses an awareness of an end to be achieved. the intentional concealment of vital information deliberate implies full consciousness of the nature of one's act and its consequences. deliberate acts of sabotage willing implies a readiness and eagerness to accede to or anticipate the wishes of another. willing obedience

Examples of willing in a Sentence

He was a willing participant in the crime. She's lending a willing hand.

Recent Examples on the Web

Judges, prosecutors and public defenders are pushing for tighter restrictions on federal immigration officers inside New York courthouses, saying fear of deportation is making immigrants less willing to report crimes and assist with prosecutions. — Kate King, WSJ, "New York Judges, Lawyers Want ICE Officials Out of Courts," 10 Apr. 2019 But just as there are organizations willing to discriminate against LGBTQ parents and children, there are also organizations and adoption agencies built just for the community. — Alexis Jones, Marie Claire, "Taylor Swift Donated More Than $100k to Fight These Disgusting Anti-LGBTQ Bills," 9 Apr. 2019 Women, too, should look for men willing to back up equality beliefs with action. — Jenna Birch, Harper's BAZAAR, "The Secret Code to Success Most Women Don't Even Know Exists," 3 Apr. 2019 As a willing and excited cook, flexing on my baked salmon recipes for whichever corporate overlords own my June video reel seems like a small intrusion. — Megan Geuss, Ars Technica, "Review: The June oven made me want a camera in every cooking device," 22 Dec. 2018 These are large established firms in trouble that are willing to go to great lengths not to lose their investment-grade status—the only type of paper that many institutional money managers are allowed to buy. — Jon Sindreu, WSJ, "Bond Investors Shouldn’t Fixate Too Much on the Alphabet," 21 Feb. 2019 Never mind the cost overruns and unbearable noise levels: The Concorde was grounded in 2003 above all because burning more fuel to fly faster wasn’t worth it for airlines—at least not at fares passengers were willing to pay. — Jon Sindreu, WSJ, "Airbus Shows Danger of Wanting It Bigger and Faster," 14 Feb. 2019 Her doctors struggled to find a cardiologist who was willing to work with someone whose heart was in such a weak state. — Amy Capetta, Good Housekeeping, "I Nearly Had My Leg Amputated Only to Find Out My Heart Was Working at 5%," 31 Jan. 2019 Over 70 percent of consumers ages 15 to 20 are willing to pay more for products and services that come from companies committed to positive social and environmental impact. — Yerin Kim, Seventeen, "How Gen Z and Millennials Are Totally Different," 17 Jan. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'willing.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.