▪ I. wilful, a.1 (adv., n.)
(ˈwɪlfʊl)
Compared wilfuller, wilfullest (both rare). Also 3–4 wil(le)uol, wyl(le)fol, 3–7 wilfull, 3–5, 7–8 (9 U.S.) willful, 4 wyluolle, (weleful), 4–5 willef(f)ul, 4–6 Sc. vilful(l, also various forms with y, ll, ff, with or without final e.
[f. will n.1+ -ful: not recorded in OE. (but see wilfully): cf. willesful.]
A. adj.
1. a. Asserting or disposed to assert one's own will against persuasion, instruction, or command; governed by will without regard to reason; determined to take one's own way; obstinately self-willed or perverse. (Of persons or personal attributes, or transf. of actions: see also 5.)
| c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 75 Pertinaces in malo eliminat ecclesia holie chirche deleð fro cristendom, þo þe wilfulle ben here sinnes to luuen. c 1250 in O.E. Misc. 184 Hwan þu sixst on leode King þat is wilful. c 1374 Chaucer Troylus iii. 935 For verray slouþe and oþere wilful tacches. c 1400 Rule St. Benet (verse) 280 Men or wemen of wilful mode, Þat order of religion takes. 1529 in Leadam Sel. Cases Star Chamber (Selden Soc.) II. 34 The seid Henry is sklanderus and a wylfull person and wyll not be ordered but after his owne wyll. 1570–6 Lambarde Peramb. Kent 256 Some blinde and wilfull worshipper. 1579 Lyly Euphues 43 He that to day is not willyng, will to morrow bee more wilful. 1605 Shakes. Lear ii. iv. 305 To wilfull men, The iniuries that they themselues procure, Must be their Schoole-Masters. 1773 Mrs. Chapone Improv. Mind (1774) II. vi. 24 The smallest disappointment..will put wilful young people out of temper. 1821 Shelley Adonais xi, One..in her wilful grief would break Her bow and winged reeds. 1867 Swinburne Blake (1868) 190 These opinions, and stranger than these, he put forth in the cloudiest style, the wilfullest humour, and the stormiest excitement. |
| Comb. 1632 Lithgow Trav. i. 34 What wilfull-hearted man can be so apt to belieue, that our blessed Lady had such estimation of morter and stones? |
† b. In good sense: Strong-willed, strongly persistent.
Obs. rare.
| c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 5663 A myghtful [v.r. wilfull] man was Maryus, Of fair speche merueillous. 1633 T. James Voy. 92 Being now become wilfull in our indeauours. |
c. In nonce
Comb. with
wavy.
| 1877 [see meal-drift s.v. meal n.1 3 a]. |
† 2. Having the will
to do something; purposing, intending; wishful, desirous. Also said of the purpose or desire: Eager, earnest.
Obs.| 1340 Ayenb. 162 Nou yziȝ ane yongne boryeis and ane newene kniȝt. Mochel habbeþ þos of uele þoȝtes newe diuerses and wyluolle. Þe borgeys wylneþ to chapfari..þe knyȝt..wilneþ corteysyes to done an largeliche yeue. 1375 Barbour Bruce ii. 345 Arayit rycht awisely, Willful to do chewalry. 1390 Gower Conf. I. 361 Whan that he..hadde his wilful pourpos wonne Of al this Erthe under the Sonne. c 1400 Destr. Troy 725 [She] Wan þe thy worship & wilfull desire. a 1500 Ratis Raving 2919 Wysmen ar wylfull to do grace, & mercyable in petwous cas. 1513 Douglas æneis xii. Prol. 270 On fut I sprent into my bayr sark, Wilfull for till compleyt my langsum wark. 1573–80 Tusser Husb. (1878) 77 Be wilfull to kill and vnskilfull to store, And looke for no foison. |
† 3. Willing; consenting; ready to comply with a request, desire, or requirement.
Obs.| 1375 Barbour Bruce xi. 266 The worthy kyng, quhen he has seyn His host..wilfull to fulfill His liking, with gud hert and will. 1456 Sir G. Haye Law Arms (S.T.S.) 207 Gif thai lordis..defendis maliciously the ref, and is nocht wilfull to mak reformacioun and redress. c 1460 Oseney Reg. 39 With þe wilfull consent of þe Kyng and of the Aduocates of the same church. c 1475 Partenay 1641 With A wilfull hert full gentilly resceyuyng..thys souerayn. 1590 Shakes. Mids. N. v. i. 211 When Wals are so wilfull, to heare without warning. 1598 ― Merry W. iii. ii. 44, I will..divulge Page..for a secure and wilfull Acteon. |
† 4. a. Proceeding from the will; done, undertaken, assumed, or undergone of one's own free will or choice; not compulsory or enforced:
= voluntary A. 1 b, 3.
Obs.| c 1374 Chaucer Boeth. iii. pr. xi. (1868) 98, I ne trete nat heere now of weleful moeuynges of the sowle. c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 14 Men þat haue..taken cristis mekenesse and gret pouert bi wilful profession. c 1400 Rule St. Benet (prose) 142 The secunde is, þat þe behouis liue in wilfull powerte. c 1470 Henry Wallace x. 218 The gret debait in Wallace wit can waid, Betwix kyndnes and wyllfull wow he maid. c 1480 Henryson Fox & Wolf xxvi. (Bann.), Do wil⁓full pennance here, and ȝe sall wend..to ioy withouttin end. 1531 Tindale Expos. 1 John (1538) 37 b, By wylfull kepynge of the commaundement we be sure that we loue God. 1613 Purchas Pilgrimage ii. ix. 131 He there died..through his wilfull want of bread and water. 1667 Milton P.L. x. 1042 No more be mention'd then of violence Against our selves, and wilful barrenness, That cuts us off from hope. 1687 Dryden Hind & P. ii. 715 The silent stranger stood amazed to see Contempt of wealth, and wilful poverty. |
b. Involving unfettered exercise of will; arbitrary;
wilful empire, absolute sovereignty, autocracy.
Obs.| 1533 Bellenden Livy iii. xviii. (S.T.S.) II. 24 Thus sall It be clerely schewin..quhidder wilfull empire or public liberte be erast establist be þir lawis. |
5. Done on purpose or wittingly; purposed, deliberate, intentional; not accidental or casual. Chiefly, now always, in bad sense, of an action either evil in itself or blameworthy in the particular case; often (with colour of sense 1) implying ‘perverse, obstinate’. Also
transf. of the agent, as
wilful murderer, one who commits wilful murder.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 9633 It was his aun..wilful sin Þat did vs all fra him to tuin. 1526 Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531), Mortall synnes, & carnall consentes to the same, and wylfull delectacyons in synne. a 1548 Hall Chron., Edw. V 9 b, Wylfull murtherers, whom God commaundeth to be taken from the aulter. 1583 Stubbes Anat. Abus. ii. (1882) 13 Although it be wilfull and purposed murther. 1591 Shakes. 1 Hen. VI, iv. i. 142 How will their grudging stomackes be prouok'd To wilfull Disobedience, and Rebell? a 1625 Fletcher Nice Valour v. ii, Can there be wilfuller destruction? 1736 Bailey (fol.) s.v. Waste, Wilful Waste makes woful Want. 1781 Cowper Truth 20 Charge not..Your wilful suicide on God's decree. 1844 Thirlwall Greece lxvi. VIII. 387 Though his character has..been misrepresented through hostile prejudices and wilful calumny. 1883 D. C. Murray Hearts xxviii, On a charge of wilful and corrupt perjury. |
B. as
adv. † 1. = wilfully 4, 5.
Obs.| a 1300 Cursor M. 16429 To þaa wilful wod he taght Þe lauerd es al-weldand. c 1381 Chaucer Parl. Foules 429 Dishobeysaunt or wilful necligent. ? 1541 Coverdale Confut. Standish (1547) d vij, Forgetfull what ye sayd afore, or els wilfull blind. 1592 Kyd Sp. Trag. i. iii, Could she [Fortune] heare, yet is she wilfull mad. 1595 Shakes. John v. ii. 124 The Dolphin is too wilfull opposite And will not temporize with my intreaties. 1596 [see blame v. 6]. c 1600 Shakes. Sonn. li. 13 Since from thee going, he went wilfull slow. 1611 ― Wint. T. i. ii. 255 If euer I were wilfull-negligent. |
† 2. Voluntarily, of free will:
= wilfully 2.
| c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 87 So þat whanne þei schulden ben most wilful pore & preche þe gospel of cristis pouert & his apostlis. 1450–1530 Myrr. our Ladye ii. 161 The sete of dome where the wylfull powre shall sytte and deme wyth cryste. |
C. as
n. A wilful person;
rarely, a wilful act.
| 1819 Scott Ivanhoe xxxi, Nay, then, if wilful will to water, wilful must drench. 1829 ― Anne of G. xvi, That is as much as to say, wilful will to it. 1875 Tennyson Q. Mary iii. v, One of those wicked wilfuls that men make, Nor shame to call it nature. 1885 Academy 14 Nov. 322/1 The unfortunates or the wilfuls who are under restraint. |
Hence
† wilfulhead (whence
irreg. † wilfulheadness in same sense),
† wilfulship, wilfulness;
† wilfulling nonce-wd. [
irreg. f. wilful +
-ing1], a wilful act.
| c 1385 Chaucer L.G.W. Prol. 355 Lyk tyrauntis of lumbardye That vsyn *wilfulhed & tyrannye. c 1400 Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton 1483) iv. xii. 63 Only that thyng euery wyght may which he may by ryght and nought of wilful-hede. |
| 1485 Coventry Leet Bk. 523 Yf any personne of obstinacie or *wilful-hednesse will withstand..the said..Rules. |
| 1605 Sylvester Du Bartas ii. iii. iii. Law 610 No more bay with thy *wilfullings His wrath's dread Torrent. |
| c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 205 Þat oðer is *wilfulshipe and lichamliche lustes. c 1280 MS. Douce 139 lf. 157 Þe idel mon..Þat þurstes of wilfulscipe and drinket sorwenesse. |
▪ II. † wilful, a.2 Obs. rare.
[f. wil, wile n. + -ful.] Crafty, wily.
| c 1425 Cursor M. 11807 (Trin.) Heroude..Þat wilful [Cott. wili] wolf þat ferde so fals Aȝeynes fremde & frendes als. |