Strong-willed means knowing exactly what you want and pushing on until you get it, even when people you trust tell you to stop. The key is the will — the wanting and the doing — rather than the thinking. That is the quiet difference from strong-minded: a strong-minded person will not change their opinion, while a strong-willed person will not change their course. The two often live in the same person, but they are not the same thing. This word is genuinely two-sided, and which side you get depends on who is speaking. Said of an adult you admire, it means determined, unstoppable, the sort of person who finishes what they start. Said of a child — and it is said about children constantly — it is a tired parent's word for stubborn, for the four-year-old who will not put on shoes. Teachers and parenting books use it as the gentle version of difficult. So when you hear it, listen for the tone: the same word can be a medal or a complaint.