willingness
Americannoun
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consent or readiness to do something.
The majority of the neighborhood’s older residents were employed, and younger people showed a willingness to work but often could not find jobs.
-
an inclination or preference: The country has shown no sign of willingness to make concessions.
We admire her willingness to stand up for what she believes.
The country has shown no sign of willingness to make concessions.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of willingness
Explanation
If someone's willing, he has the quality of willingness, which can vary from meaning "prepared," to "enthusiastic," like your little brother's eager willingness to help walk the dog. If your troop of Girl Scouts has a willingness to try anything, it means they stay cheerful and ready, even if they're hiking through a prickly field of thistles. When something is done with willingness, there is no sense of resentment or hesitation. The word's origin lies in the Old English wyllan, "to wish, desire, or want."
Vocabulary lists containing willingness
"Fears and Phobias"
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The Benefits of Being an Octopus
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The Rock and the River
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But Lagarde’s willingness to roam widely across European policy has characterized her ECB tenure, due to end next year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Today, Carter said, she’s seen a bigger willingness to take chances.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026
But if the Fed holds and long-term yields surge because markets question its willingness to confront inflation, the reaction could be much more powerful.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
Nordqvist's singles line-up also leant heavily on a willingness to trust in youth.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
One of the things he’d respected most in his mentor was his mercilessness, his willingness to do hard things for the sake of the cause.
From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
