1
as in rather
by choice or preference
I would not willingly eat liver, but sometimes I have no choice
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in voluntarily
of one's own free will
I willingly made the campaign contribution; no one pressured me into doing so
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of willingly
Book-Carrie initially blames Lo for disrupting her and Richard’s plan, and willingly holds her hostage at Richard’s behest.
—
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025
Bring the Paine The only thing Paine liked less than monarchical rule was its enablers, anyone who relinquished their freedom willingly to an aspiring tyrant.
—Matthew Redmond, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2025
No Nigerian officials will willingly, deliberately indulge in the act of siding with violent extremists to target any particular religion in this country.
—Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 7 Oct. 2025
And the Patriots don’t have enough offensive firepower to willingly part with a legitimate NFL starter, taking fumbles out of the equation.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 24 Sep. 2025
In the latest demands of Intel, the government willingly relinquished the ability to exert control, despite being the largest holder of Intel’s shares.
—Andrew King, Fortune, 20 Sep. 2025
Robinson’s roommate described the exchange to police and willingly showed them the messages, authorities said.
—Chris Kenning, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2025
Games designed specifically for kids can deliver the thrill of play with the guardrails of safety, and even integrate learning in ways that children embrace willingly.
—Edna Martinson, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
By enjoying the exciting spectacle, their fans have willingly become mindless followers—idol worshippers who are too misguided, and naive, to see they’re being led toward their own destruction.
—Yvonne Kim, The Atlantic, 12 Sep. 2025
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025
Bring the Paine The only thing Paine liked less than monarchical rule was its enablers, anyone who relinquished their freedom willingly to an aspiring tyrant.
—Matthew Redmond, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2025
No Nigerian officials will willingly, deliberately indulge in the act of siding with violent extremists to target any particular religion in this country.
—Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 7 Oct. 2025
And the Patriots don’t have enough offensive firepower to willingly part with a legitimate NFL starter, taking fumbles out of the equation.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 24 Sep. 2025
In the latest demands of Intel, the government willingly relinquished the ability to exert control, despite being the largest holder of Intel’s shares.
—Andrew King, Fortune, 20 Sep. 2025
Robinson’s roommate described the exchange to police and willingly showed them the messages, authorities said.
—Chris Kenning, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2025
Games designed specifically for kids can deliver the thrill of play with the guardrails of safety, and even integrate learning in ways that children embrace willingly.
—Edna Martinson, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
By enjoying the exciting spectacle, their fans have willingly become mindless followers—idol worshippers who are too misguided, and naive, to see they’re being led toward their own destruction.
—Yvonne Kim, The Atlantic, 12 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for willingly
Adverb
-
And while handing Ole Miss its first loss of the year was reason to celebrate, things got pretty somber rather quickly for the Bulldogs after learning the injury status of one of their top playmakers.—
Michael Gallagher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Oct. 2025
-
Mann said Heat 2 would not deal with the events of 1995 in the original movie but would start rather one day after, with only Hanna’s associate Chris Shiherlis, played by Val Kilmer still alive.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
18 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
Civil-rights laws, including Title VI, prescribe a long, detailed process for resolving alleged violations, which includes giving universities a chance to respond and fix things voluntarily.—
Emma Green,
New Yorker,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Only tips that are given voluntarily by customers will count toward the deduction.—
Levi Sumagaysay,
Mercury News,
13 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
The white paper recommends limiting play to one game a week in the fall and spring semesters, preferably on weekends.—
Luke Cyphers,
Sportico.com,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Wait for a cloudy day, preferably before rain.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
15 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
The new rules apply to all travelers from outside the Schengen Area, which is a zone of European countries where people can move freely without border checks.—
Alia Shoaib,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Interestingly enough, the luminous pearl glides freely through the rail, allowing for subtlety that moves with you.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
13 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
Today, mega-AI rounds readily hit billions, and there’s a confusing but broad sense that more money flowing into a startup automatically guarantees long-term success.—
Allie Garfinkle,
Fortune,
17 Oct. 2025
-
A lot has happened to the Jeep since American soldiers planted a flag on Iwo Jima, but after 80 years, the family resemblance of today’s Jeep Wrangler to the original is still readily apparent, though contemporary models are thoroughly modern cars.—
Robert Ross,
Robb Report,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Willingly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/willingly. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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