willing

adjective

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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

Other Words from willing Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about willing

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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 In recent years, the amount of investment that the Conservative government has been willing to commit to building houses, through grants to housing associations and councils, has dwindled. — Jo Richardson, Quartz, "Labour’s pledge for carbon neutral homes will require a revolution—but it’s possible," 7 Nov. 2019 Oregon State wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins joined me for a 1-on-1 discussion about the season, including whether the team is willing to say that bowl eligibility is the goal. — John Canzano | The Oregonian/oregonlive, oregonlive, "Oregon State’s Isaiah Hodgins says bowl eligibility is the goal," 5 Nov. 2019 The Pride’s decision not to waive any of its players reflects that the team is not willing to part with any of its current players without receiving compensation of some form through a trade. — Julia Poe, Pro Soccer USA, "Orlando Pride retains rights to all 2019 players, but extensive roster moves expected," 5 Nov. 2019 Not too shabby for a courageous Broadway visionary and a team of desperate animators who were willing to push social boundaries, advocating a message of gender fluidity and female empowerment that wouldn’t become widely acceptable until much later. — Michael Landis, Smithsonian, "‘The Little Mermaid’ Was Way More Subversive Than You Realized," 5 Nov. 2019 In order to quell them, laws were passed to grant citizenship to all those who opposed the revolt, or to rebels who were willing to lay down arms. — National Geographic, "In ancient Rome, citizenship was the path to power," 4 Nov. 2019 But none of this matters without people being willing to live there. — Astrid R.n. Haas, Quartz Africa, "African countries keep building new cities to meet rapid urbanization even if people won’t live in them," 1 Nov. 2019 Whether Calipari is willing to start three guards is less certain though. — Jon Hale, The Courier-Journal, "One question, one prediction for each 2019-20 Kentucky basketball player," 30 Oct. 2019 But with home values climbing for nearly seven years straight and many buyers willing to pay a premium for a move-in ready home, remodelers are sometimes rewarded with a higher price at resale, making renovations seem like a sound investment. — Boston.com Real Estate, "Home improvement projects that reportedly don’t pay off at resale," 30 Oct. 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.