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
This requires yielding – surrendering self-will, fear, and human outlining – to the pure activity of Christ within consciousness.
—
Larissa Snorek, Christian Science Monitor, 12 Dec. 2025
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
Larissa Snorek, Christian Science Monitor, 12 Dec. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-will
Noun
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Those leaders who ignore or flout the law aren’t merely unethical but fatally arrogant, putting their childish willfulness over the wisdom of generations.—
David Brooks,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
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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
Noun
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Still, tension rises when your need for reassurance clashes with pride or stubbornness.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
8 May 2026
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Letter writer worries mom’s stubbornness will limit visits just as parents are aging.—
Carolyn Hax,
Washington Post,
3 Apr. 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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The thesis, as Zidni frames it, is that Indonesian cinema’s next phase cannot rely on individual producers’ persistence.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
15 May 2026
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That sustained workplace exposure and relationship based learning environments strengthen college persistence and long term economic mobility outcomes.—
Kelby Woodard,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Noun
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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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Until traffic through the Strait of Hormuz returns to normal, yields could keep rising if central bankers don’t demonstrate more resolve to rein in inflation.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
15 May 2026
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Bernthal turns into a one-man army whose hardship somehow protects him from the pain, giving him the resolve to push through any attacker.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
13 May 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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Instead, the courts are dealing with intransigence from the city.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
13 May 2026
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In Kyiv, Orbán’s intransigence had scuttled various European initiatives to aid Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s government in the country’s with Russia.—
Rafi Schwartz,
TheWeek,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-will.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-will. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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