willfulness

noun

Definition of willfulnessnext
1
as in stubbornness
a steadfast adherence to an opinion, purpose, or course of action in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion her unceasing willfulness eventually wore down her critics and opponents

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2
as in rebellion
refusal to obey the trainer was able to correct our dog's willfulness

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of willfulness 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 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 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, 17 Nov. 2025 While this change reduces the explicit admission of willfulness, a narrative is still required. — Virginia La Torre Jeker, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025 Christian Science doesn’t demand blind faith and willfulness but a willingness to surrender to this higher truth. — Matthew Schmidt, Christian Science Monitor, 21 Jan. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for willfulness
  1. stubbornness
  2. rebellion
  3. persistence
  4. defiance
  5. obstinacy
  6. rebelliousness
  7. self-will
  8. disobedience
Noun
  • The calendar may say September, but just remember, a combination of stubbornness, denial, and determination can keep the summer feeling alive for yet a few more weeks.
    — Andrew Joseph, STAT, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The determination – or stubbornness – to play through the blisters and sores is an example of what makes Scheffler such a great competitor and the mental strength required to be one of the best golfers in the world.
    — Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of stubbornness
Noun
  • We’ve been told that Juliette is a once-in-a-generation leader, capable of pushing a rebellion further than it’s ever gone before.
    — Noel Murray, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026
  • So using a Mexican bean in a staple of Italian home cooking was surprising, almost like an act of rebellion.
    — Margy Rochlin, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of rebellion
Noun
  • Security teams should prioritize execution paths where code can access secrets, create persistence or make system changes, then apply pre-execution controls that can stop or constrain artifacts when their behavior falls outside policy.
    — Ken Ammon, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Hoban says she’s learned that bringing the vintage toys back to life often requires patience, persistence and a little imagination.
    — Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of persistence
Noun
  • The duo's defiance paved the way for a resolution to condemn socialism, a key election-year messaging bill for the GOP that drew glaring defections among Democrats, many of whom were incensed at the turn of events.
    — Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Scott is himself a celebrated London Hamlet, here playing a man whose Hamlet was his last act of defiance.
    — Clayton Davis, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of defiance
Noun
  • Starmer’s realism—or obstinacy, depending on your point of view—had seen off an immediate challenge.
    — Sam Knight, New Yorker, 14 May 2026
  • 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
Definition of obstinacy
Noun
  • Whether writing five decades ago or today, the genre’s most insightful commentators have always observed how punk fuses rebelliousness with commodification, capitalism with resistance.
    — Kyle Devine, Longreads, 14 July 2026
  • Marji’s rebelliousness, both admirable and terrifying for those who love her, is her salient characteristic.
    — Hillary Chute, The Atlantic, 9 June 2026
Definition of rebelliousness
Noun
  • 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
Definition of self-will
Noun
  • After federal prosecutors and defense attorneys had presented all their evidence Tuesday, Morrow’s attorneys asked Orso to dismiss the three petty charges accusing her of obstruction, disruption and disobedience.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Another child said he was forced to carry out artillery strikes and beaten for disobedience.
    — Sam Mednick, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of disobedience

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Cite this Entry

“Willfulness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/willfulness. Accessed 9 Sep. 2026.

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