wilful

 
Pronunciation: /ˈwɪlfʊl, -f(ə)l/
(US also willful)

adjective

  • 1(of a bad or harmful act) intentional; deliberate: wilful acts of damage
  • 2having or showing a stubborn and determined intention to do as one wants, regardless of the consequences: a spoiled, wilful child

Derivatives

wilfully

adverb

wilfulness

noun

Origin:

Middle English: from the noun will2 + -ful

Spelling help

Remember that wilful is spelled with one l in the middle (the spelling willful is American).

Spelling rule

If a word ends in a double l, drop the last l when adding endings which begin with a consonant (here, will plus -ful): wilful.