- intent on having one's own way; headstrong or obstinate
- intentional: wilful murder
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
wil•ful
(wil′fəl),USA pronunciation adj.
wil′ful•ness, n.
- willful.
wil′ful•ness, n.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
wilful, US willful /ˈwɪlfʊl/ adj
will•ful /ˈwɪlfəl/USA pronunciation or wil•ful,
adj.
will•ful•ness, n. [uncountable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- deliberate;
intentional:willful negligence. - unreasonably stubborn, determined, or headstrong.
will•ful•ness, n. [uncountable]
will•ful
(wil′fəl),USA pronunciation adj.
will′ful•ly, adv.
will′ful•ness, n.
- deliberate, voluntary, or intentional:The coroner ruled the death willful murder.
- unreasonably stubborn or headstrong;
self-willed.
- 1150–1200; Middle English; Old English wilful willing. See will2, -ful
will′ful•ness, n.
- 1. volitional. 2. intransigent; contrary, refractory, pigheaded, inflexible, obdurate, adamant. Willful, headstrong, perverse, wayward refer to one who stubbornly insists upon doing as he or she pleases. Willful suggests a stubborn persistence in doing what one wishes, esp. in opposition to those whose wishes or commands ought to be respected or obeyed:that willful child who disregarded his parents' advice.One who is headstrong is often foolishly, and sometimes violently, self-willed:reckless and headstrong youths.The perverse person is unreasonably or obstinately intractable or contrary, often with the express intention of being disagreeable:perverse out of sheer spite.Wayward in this sense has the connotation of rash wrongheadedness that gets one into trouble:a reform school for wayward girls.
- 2. obedient, tractable.
'wilful' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):