willingly

[ wil-ing-lee ]

adverb

1. in a consenting and often cheerful way:

   They volunteer for duty on faraway battlefields, willingly putting their lives on the line to fight and possibly die for their country.

Other Words From

• o·ver·wil·ling·ly adverb
• pre·wil·ling·ly adverb
• qua·si-wil·ling·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of willingly¹

First recorded before 900; equivalent to willing ( def ) + -ly ( def )

Example Sentences

After the trophy presentation, Orange Lutheran players failed in the first attempt to douse coach Kristen Sherman with ice water but Cook found another bucket and Sherman willingly “took one for the team.”

From Los Angeles Times

It’s rare for someone to willingly surrender power the way Biden did.

From Los Angeles Times

I would willingly succumb to them.

From Slate

Postecoglou. who has understandably cut a discontented and tetchy figure as Spurs dropped from the brilliance of their 3-0 win at Manchester United to lose so disappointingly at Brighton and Palace, willingly made a rod for his own back, and those of his players, with his own particular "second season syndrome".

From BBC

Little did Babb know that the copy of her field notes she would willingly give Steinbeck would not only inspire him as he began his third and final attempt at writing his Dust Bowl novel, but would also make the publishing of her own novel impossible.

From Salon

Related Words

• cheerfully
• freely
• readily
• voluntarily