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self-will

[ self-wil, self- ]

/ ˌsɛlfˈwɪl, ˈsɛlf- /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR self-will ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

stubborn or obstinate willfulness, as in pursuing one's own wishes, aims, etc.

Origin of self-will

before 900; Middle English: one's own will, stubbornness; Old English: one's own will; see self, will²

OTHER WORDS FROM self-will

self-willed, adjective self-willed·ly, adverb self-willed·ness, noun

Words nearby self-will

self-torment, self-treatment, self-understanding, self-validating, self-violence, self-will, self-winding, self-worth, self-wrong, selfdom, selfheal

Example sentences from the Web for self-willed

Awful though it may be, The Demonologist is a case study in self-willed delusion.

A Night with The Conjuring’s Ed & Lorraine Warren |Stefan Beck |August 18, 2013 |DAILY BEAST
The uniform is the man, and the man is a self-willed marvel who will not be denied.

Villains as Fashion Heroes |Sean Macaulay |July 8, 2010 |DAILY BEAST
A self-willed marvel, he was not even a natural athlete or much of an extrovert.

Chuck Norris Turns 70 |Sean Macaulay |December 6, 2009 |DAILY BEAST
This state of affairs exasperated the fiery and self-willed little beauty almost to phrensy.

Cruel As The Grave |Mrs. Emma D. E. N. Southworth

For to all outward appearances he was taciturn, unimaginative, self-willed.

The Loom of Youth |Alec Waugh
The black-eyed baby that I called my pet grew into a self-willed girl, and in after years was the cause of much trouble to me.

Behind the Scenes |Elizabeth Keckley
David, I do not think any one ever was so self-willed as you!

The Shadow of Ashlydyat |Mrs. Henry Wood
Dorothy laid down her book and went to fetch her violin, but the self-willed Grace would have none of that.

Dorothy at Oak Knowe |Evelyn Raymond

British Dictionary definitions for self-willed

self-will

noun

stubborn adherence to one's own will, desires, etc, esp at the expense of others

Derived forms of self-will

self-willed, adjective