willentlichen

Willentlichen is the inflected form of the German adjective willentlich, meaning intentionally or deliberately. It is used before plural nouns in contexts where a definite article is present, as in die willentlichen Handlungen (the intentional actions). The adverb willentlich expresses that an action was performed on purpose, as in Er handelt willentlich (he acts deliberately). The form willentlichen is not a separate lexical entry but a grammatical ending that marks the attributive adjective in plural when the definite article is used.

In philosophical, legal, and ethical discussions, willentlichity is contrasted with unwillentlich or unbewusst/ungeschehen, which denote actions done without intention. Willentlich expresses a mental state of volition or conscious choice, and is often associated with concepts such as deliberation, intent (Vorsatz), and culpability in law. There is a related noun form, das Willentliche or Willentlichkeit, used to refer to the quality or state of being intentional or volitional, though this noun is relatively formal and less common in everyday language.

Usage notes: willentlich is common in formal and semi-formal registers, including legal language, psychology, and philosophy, whereas bewusst or absichtlich can be more frequent in everyday speech. The term can carry stronger implications of deliberate choice than synonyms like vorsätzlich or absichtlich, depending on context. Its precise scope can vary by discipline, especially in jurisprudence where mens rea and intent are carefully delineated.

See also Wille, Willensfreiheit, Absicht, Vorsatz.