wilfully

USAGE SUMMARY

The word 'wilfully' is correct and usable in written English.
You would use it to describe an act or behavior that is done deliberately or on purpose. For example: "He wilfully disobeyed the school rules."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Anelay said: "The government believes the most effective way to prevent refugees and migrants attempting this dangerous crossing is to focus our attention on countries of origin and transit, as well as taking steps to fight the people smugglers who wilfully put lives at risk by packing migrants into unseaworthy boats".

The Guardian

The NUJ believes Desmond is wilfully running his newspapers into the ground and its attack on the press magnate comes three months after it called him "Britain's greediest billionaire".

The Guardian

And at a time when rock was moving way beyond the cheap thrills of the jukebox era and into the album-led period of FM radio and popular-music-as-art, their work quickly turned out to be a perfect match for the records it adorned: high-end, wilfully non-commercial, so of a piece with the music that one digested them both as a sense-filling whole.

The Guardian - Music

At some point, however, enough people came round to Lee's wilfully smart, relentlessly provocative routines.

The Guardian

"He does not openly support jihadism, of course, but does attack its critics and rationalise or wilfully overlook some of its excesses.

The Guardian

Formerly a Mormon high priest, Park told the BBC: "There's compelling evidence that the Mormon Church leaders knowingly and wilfully misrepresent the historical truth of their origins and of the church for the purpose of deceiving their members into a state of mind that renders them exploitable".

The Guardian

Agra has wilfully chosen to insult farmers' concerns in their aim to expand corporate agribusiness into Africa".

The Guardian

It also wilfully ignores the much more fragrant co-wash method (see above), and the abundance of modern brands making good shampoos with only natural ingredients and foaming agents (coconut oil being just one of them).

The Guardian - Lifestyle

"Accusing someone of wilfully and deliberately endangering a child in their care is a difficult area to get into".

The Guardian

Schools, he points out, must take insurances against liability, but "if they acted very wilfully and deceitfully, and committed a crime, they might be [liable] because insurance has certain limits".

The Guardian

Perhaps it was here that I came to equate the Tory party with the reactionary, the wilfully ignorant, the violent and the cruel.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "wilfully" when you want to emphasize that an action was not only intentional but also potentially defiant or against established rules or norms.

Common error

Avoid using "wilfully" when you mean "willingly". "Wilfully" implies a deliberate intent, often with negative connotations, while "willingly" suggests a voluntary and agreeable action.

Linguistic Context

The adverb "wilfully" modifies verbs, adverbs, or adjectives to indicate that an action is performed deliberately and intentionally, often with a negative connotation. It emphasizes the conscious decision behind the action. Ludwig AI confirms that this word describes the manner in which an action is carried out.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

67%

Formal & Business

17%

Science

16%

Less common in

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "wilfully" functions as an adverb that modifies an action, emphasizing that it was done deliberately and often with a sense of defiance or wrongdoing. As indicated by Ludwig AI, this term is grammatically correct and frequently used in various contexts, particularly in news and formal settings. While alternatives like "deliberately" or "intentionally" exist, "wilfully" carries a stronger connotation of intentional disregard for rules or norms. Therefore, it's important to use "wilfully" when you want to highlight the deliberate and potentially defiant nature of an action.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

deliberately

Indicates a conscious and planned action, similar to "wilfully" but without necessarily implying malice.

intentionally

Highlights the purposefulness of an action, closely related to "wilfully" but with a broader scope.

on purpose

A more informal way of saying "wilfully", emphasizing the deliberate nature of the act.

knowingly

Suggests awareness of the consequences of an action, similar to "wilfully" in implying intent.

consciously

Emphasizes the awareness and intent behind an action, sharing a similar meaning with "wilfully".

by design

Highlights that something was done according to a plan, similarly to the intended nature of "wilfully".

calculatedly

Emphasizes that an action was carefully planned, similar to the intent implied by "wilfully".

purposely

Indicates that an action was done with a specific aim, related to the deliberate aspect of "wilfully".

with malice aforethought

A legal term that implies premeditation, similar to "wilfully" when referring to harmful actions.

in cold blood

Indicates an action that was done without emotion or empathy, sharing the deliberate aspect of "wilfully" but with a stronger connotation.

FAQs

How is "wilfully" used in a sentence?

The adverb "wilfully" describes an action done deliberately or intentionally, often with a connotation of defiance or wrongdoing. For example, "He "wilfully ignored" the warnings."

What are some alternatives to using "wilfully"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "deliberately", "intentionally", or "on purpose" in place of "wilfully".

Is there a difference between "wilfully" and "willfully"?

"Wilfully" and "willfully" are variants of the same word. "Wilfully" is more common in British English, while "willfully" is typically used in American English. Both spellings carry the same meaning: doing something deliberately or intentionally.

When is it appropriate to use "wilfully" instead of simply "deliberately"?

"Wilfully" is best used when the deliberate action also carries a sense of disobedience, defiance, or wrongdoing. While "deliberately" simply indicates intent, "wilfully" adds an element of intentional disregard for rules or expectations.