willingly

adverb

Definition of willinglynext
1
as in rather
by choice or preference I would not willingly eat liver, but sometimes I have no choice

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

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 willingly But the very act of putting on a wearable—of willingly adorning oneself with a tiny computerized narc—is an act of surrender. — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 28 Aug. 2026 If Gluck has willingly conceded to the anti-erotic proclivities of his intended audience, Araki has, naturally, set out to defy them. — Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2026 Summary Early healthcare software was willingly adopted for its usefulness, unlike Electronic Health Records (EHRs) which required government mandates and billions in incentives for widespread implementation. — Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026 Would any of those names willingly jump into a crowded situation? — Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026 What happened to the colonists remains unknown, but archaeological finds—including otherwise anachronistic English artifacts on Hatteras Island—give some support to White’s theory that at least some of the colonists relocated willingly. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Aug. 2026 By suggesting that Black women would willingly place their own children in mortal danger for profit, such narratives provided yet another means of humiliating, degrading and dehumanizing African Americans. — The Conversation, 11 Aug. 2026 The advertising industry has willingly accelerated this transition, enjoying a familiar return to the days of the 30-second advertising spot. — Max Tani, semafor.com, 9 Aug. 2026 Tony was a complex person who willingly put himself in the entertainment industry, which can, unfortunately, compress a whole person down into a series of bullet points and memes. — Laurie Woolever, Bon Appetit Magazine, 3 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for willingly
  1. rather
  2. voluntarily
  3. preferably
  4. freely
  5. readily
Adverb
  • Protectionism is generally not the cause of trade conflicts, but rather a symptom of imbalances that have endured for too long.
    — MICHAEL PETTIS, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Thus polytheistic worship of deities and monist philosophy are not opposed but rather different ways of reaching the divine.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of rather
Adverb
  • Indiana Hospital Association President Scott Tittle points to reports showing hospitals have voluntarily cut prices over the last three years.
    — Alex Olgin, NPR, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Goss voluntarily relinquished his Missouri law license and surrendered his right to practice law in Kansas.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of voluntarily
Adverb
  • Store firewood neatly, preferably elevated and away from the house, and clear clutter that could shelter rodents.
    — Rachel Silva, Martha Stewart, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The filling sets in the fridge for at least four hours, but preferably overnight.
    — Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of preferably
Adverb
  • The air was already at blood heat outside, and the men were sweating freely.
    — Helen Simpson, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
  • How can anyone be allowed to say this, working for freely given Public Airwaves?
    — Rick Ellis, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of freely
Adverb
  • Health care plans have also expanded mental health coverage, and players have begun to use those offerings more readily.
    — Mike Jones, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • There are diagnostic tests for many conditions, but a doctor’s list of potential diagnoses may be long, and the culprit might be too rare to come readily to mind.
    — Jason Liebowitz, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of readily

Browse Nearby Words

willing
willingly
willingness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Willingly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/willingly. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All