What does willingly mean?
Willingly is an adverb meaning “voluntarily,” “gladly,” or “without reluctance.” It describes an action performed with willingness rather than coercion, reluctance, or necessity. For example, someone who willingly helps a stranger has not been forced to do so and may be glad to offer assistance. The word is common in both everyday conversation and formal writing, including legal and institutional language. Although it usually carries a positive connotation of readiness or consent, it can also be used ironically or critically when the speaker believes that an apparent willingness was only superficial or driven by pressure. Willingly is closely related to the adjective willing and the noun willingness, but its grammatical function is specifically adverbial: it explains how an action is undertaken. In careful prose, willingly can strengthen a statement by emphasizing that a choice was freely made.
adverbIn a manner that shows willingness; voluntarily or without reluctance.
- Voluntarily or without reluctance; with willingness.
"She willingly lent her notes to a classmate who had missed the lecture."
"He willingly shared the last of his coffee with the new employee."
"The defendant stated that she had willingly and voluntarily entered the agreement."
Add -ly to willing, and a state of mind becomes a choice: willingly is what willingness looks like in action.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does willingly come from?
Willingly was formed in Middle English by adding the adverb-forming suffix -ly to willing. Willing belongs to the word family based on will, with senses connected to desire, intention, and choice; the related Old English willian meant “to wish” or “to desire.” The later development of willingly reflects the established English pattern in which -ly turns an adjective or participle into an adverb.
How willingly is actually used
Willingly is standard in formal and informal English. It often implies that someone is glad or ready to act, and it can be used ironically when a person agrees reluctantly or only under pressure.
Easily confused with willingly
Willing is an adjective describing a person's attitude, whereas willingly is an adverb describing how someone acts.
Willingly means voluntarily and without reluctance, while willfully means intentionally, sometimes despite instructions or consequences.