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

Even if North Korea is willing to cooperate, dismantling its secretive weapons of mass destruction programs, believed to encompass dozens of sites, will be tough. — Matthew Pennington And Lolita C. Baldor, The Christian Science Monitor, "US wants North Korea denuclearized in a year, but concerns remain," 2 July 2018 Of course, there’s still the question of whether the member or the candidate is willing to listen. — Jeffrey Mervis, Science | AAAS, "Science candidates: High-tech smarts aren’t enough for defeated Obama aide," 28 June 2018 How much are people willing to spend to cut a day or so off of a bout of flu? — Helen Branswell, STAT, "A flu drug — shown to reduce the duration of symptoms — could upend treatment in U.S.," 27 June 2018 Those in a financial position to relocate and invest in the out-of-the-way area were older adults willing to move to a community without schools and stores in the immediate vicinity. — Elizabeth Marie Himchak, Rancho Bernardo, "Rancho Bernardo's founder, Harry Summers, has died," 26 June 2018 The automakers are willing to spend money to keep you as a customer. — Jerry Reynolds, Houston Chronicle, "Make an informed decision on pull-ahead lease offers," 23 June 2018 More and more people are willing to try, or tolerate, another approach. — James Stavridis, Time, "Democracy Isn't Perfect, But It Will Still Prevail," 12 July 2018 Yet Inter are only willing to take the defender on loan but this would not be possible as Darmian's contract expires on 30 June. — SI.com, "Man Utd Defender Could Sign Contract Extension as Inter Continue Hunt for New Right Back," 13 July 2018 JD Power’s survey found that more than half of respondents would be willing to pursue litigation if they were involved in an incident with a driverless car. — Aarian Marshall, WIRED, "Home From the Honeymoon, the Self-Driving Car Industry Faces Reality," 13 July 2018

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.