as in willfulness
a steadfast adherence to an opinion, purpose, or course of action in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion
a schoolboy with a streak of self-will and rebellion
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Recent Examples of self-will
But also injuries and ailments at all the wrong times, as well as overt self-will at times.
—
Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 16 Feb. 2025
So for those of us torn between watching the sun get blotted out and getting blotto keeping our attention on a particularly good rock show, this exercise in multi-tasking was a real contest of self-will.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 9 Apr. 2024
Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 16 Feb. 2025
So for those of us torn between watching the sun get blotted out and getting blotto keeping our attention on a particularly good rock show, this exercise in multi-tasking was a real contest of self-will.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 9 Apr. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-will
Noun
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Though the Durutti Column had been a disaster, Wilson was fascinated by the guitarist, who admired punk’s willfulness even though his own musical taste tended toward jazz, blues, and the classical tradition.—
Brad Shoup,
Pitchfork,
24 Jan. 2026
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The orphan’s predicament is as much a matter of willfulness as of survival—inseparable, as in the works of Charles Dickens, from a dream of being somehow rescued by the idea of an adult world.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Maybe this stubbornness won’t affect anything.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Mar. 2026
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The 22-year-old had been relentless in her pursuit of a goal all match against rival Canada, and her stubbornness finally paid off in the 55th minute.—
Melanie Anzidei,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The natural obstinacy and rebelliousness of Israa’s teenage years are hyperaccelerated by culture clashes with both her family and the other kids around her.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
24 Jan. 2026
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The White House does not seem to have a workaround to Putin’s obstinacy, and Rubio told Hannity that all other parties seeking to end the conflict are hopeless.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
3 Dec. 2025
Noun
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First, the persistence of ungoverned or contested spaces along the Pakistan-Afghan border risks creating an enabling environment for transnational militant groups.—
Rabia Akhtar,
The Conversation,
20 Mar. 2026
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There’s something to be said for the persistence of these artists in grinding through and realizing such elaborate historical films in the face of enormous, unforeseen, catastrophic logistical challenges.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The Home Service Insurance segment experienced a decline in premiums, attributed to strategic actions to improve sales quality and persistency, as well as economic pressures such as inflation.—
Quartz Intelligence Newsroom,
Quartz,
13 Mar. 2025
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The tannins are well structured yet soft and the wine has great persistency in the finish.—
Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen,
Robb Report,
2 May 2023
Noun
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One of the novel’s quietly devastating moments comes when Branwell, in the middle of one of his cycles of resolve, tells Emily he is done with laudanum and alcohol.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Mar. 2026
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Following six years of vainly protesting his innocence, Dantès resolves to starve himself to death.—
Michael Dirda,
The New York Review of Books,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
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China has gained, not suffered, from this obduracy.—
JONATHAN A. CZIN,
Foreign Affairs,
25 Nov. 2025
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Related: ‘Neglected diseases’ are anything but neglected by the billion-plus people living with them One possible reason for this obduracy is that noma begins as a dental disease, and dental diseases have long been underappreciated global health concerns.—
John Button,
STAT,
16 Dec. 2023
Noun
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That the campaign has become a grind, with little entertainment on offer and an intransigence in the manager’s approach, has added to the sense of angst.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
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Tehran matched American and Israeli rigidity with intransigence and strategic overreach of its own.—
Mehrzad Boroujerdi,
The Conversation,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-will.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-will. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
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