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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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
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While this change reduces the explicit admission of willfulness, a narrative is still required.—
Virginia La Torre Jeker,
Forbes.com,
4 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The shadow of this Full Moon is reacting from pride or stubbornness instead of vulnerability.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
25 Jan. 2026
-
There is genius in Tomlin’s stubbornness.—
Jerry Brewer,
New York Times,
14 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
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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But at this point, the trend’s persistence and the thirst with which its products are consumed suggest a more profound connection between these stories and their audience.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
30 Jan. 2026
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Transferable soft skills such as problem-solving, and persistence, collaboration and empathy, fast become the tools with which to succeed.—
Barnaby Lashbrooke,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 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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Her third album, Vacancy, documents this sense of resolve.—
Vrinda Jagota,
Pitchfork,
29 Jan. 2026
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What Lee did not anticipate was the iron resolve, the ferocious tenacity, of the Union defenders.—
Jamelle Bouie,
Mercury News,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
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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In fact, that summit seemed initially to have backfired for Russia, with Trump growing increasingly frustrated with Moscow’s intransigence.—
Clare Sebastian,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 2026
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But the Islamic Republic is ultimately to blame for calls for regime change, given its decades-long intransigence to demands for reform, its crackdown on dissidents, and its woeful economic mismanagement and corruption.—
Nahid Siamdoust,
The Atlantic,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-will.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-will. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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