Wordwyrt

wilfully

/ˈwɪlfəli/WIL-fuh-lee
UK form converted from the US by rule · unchecked
/ˈwɪlfəli/WIL-fuh-lee

Meaningin a wilful way

Common meaning: on purpose

Other meanings: stubbornly

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Journey through time

  1. Old Englishwill‘will’sourceB&T
  2. Middle Englishwilful‘full of will’source
  3. Englishwilful‘deliberately stubborn’
  4. Englishformed in English from wilfulwilfully‘on purpose’ · today

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Formed in English from wilful + -ly.

Dictionary: Skeat (1898), WILFUL, p.711 · scan

Source words

  • will Old English · source word “will”

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