willingly

From Middle English willyngly, wyllyngly (“intentionally, deliverately; freely, gladly”), from Old English willendlīċe (“diligently”), equivalent to willing +‎ -ly.

• IPA^(key): /ˈwɪlɪŋli/
• Hyphenation: will‧ing‧ly

• Audio (US):

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willingly (comparative more willingly, superlative most willingly)

1. Of one’s own free will; freely and spontaneously.
   • 1748, [David Hume], chapter 29, in Philosophical Essays Concerning Human Understanding, London: […] A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC:

     Now this is a process of the mind or thought, of which I would willingly know the foundation.

   • 1958 January, 'Borderer', “Ten Years of British Railways”, in Railway Magazine, page 12:

     In the first place, although many people wanted nationalisation and it became the will of Parliament, there were many other people who did not want it, have never willingly accepted it, and never will.

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:willingly.

• gladly, happily

• unwillingly