Waywardnesses

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The quality of being difficult to control or predict; a tendency to behave irregularly or contrary to expectations; the state of following one's own whims instead of adhering to a set path or rules
2. The characteristic of straying from what is considered proper or expected; the behavior that demonstrates unpredictability or a lack of discipline; the condition of acting according to personal desires rather than social norms
3. A disposition marked by a lack of direction or consistency; actions that diverge from norms or accepted standards; the trait of prioritizing individual inclinations over conventional expectations

Etymology: "Waywardnesses" is simply the plural of "waywardness," the noun for the quality of being wayward. Its history is a plain compound. "Wayward" is formed from "away" and the suffix "-ward," which points a direction, so it originally described something turned or heading off in another direction. The sense of wilful, contrary behaviour developed from that idea of straying off the expected path. The noun comes from "wayward" with the suffix "-ness," which turns an adjective into a noun for a state or quality. That suffix has been part of English since Old English, when it appeared as "-nes," and it attaches freely to adjectives such as "kindness" and "darkness." "Waywardness" is therefore a transparent formation, built on the adjective rather than borrowed from another language. The plural form, "waywardnesses," is used when people want to refer to several separate instances of this quality, such as individual acts of defiance or episodes of erratic conduct.