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preparedness

American  
[pri-pair-id-nis, -paird-nis] / prɪˈpɛər ɪd nɪs, -ˈpɛərd nɪs /

noun

  1. the state of being prepared; prepare; readiness.

  2. possession of adequate armed forces, industrial resources and potential, etc., especially as a deterrent to enemy attack.

preparedness British  
/ prɪˈpɛərɪdnɪs /

noun

  1. the state of being prepared or ready, esp militarily ready for war

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • preparedly adverb
  • unpreparedness noun

Etymology

Origin of preparedness

First recorded in 1580–90; prepared + -ness

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.

Japan’s southwest capabilities, he said, are intended to signal its preparedness to China, but there is a problem: “We don’t know how much is enough,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal

Past councils have weighed in on everything from pandemic preparedness to quantum computing to clean energy.

From Barron's

OpenAI has, however, published usage policies and a “preparedness framework” that prepares “for advanced AI capabilities that could introduce new risks of severe harm.”

From MarketWatch

For decades, wildfires were considered a reactive emergency, but more disaster experts are looking for ways to apply proactive messaging, deployment and warning systems to fires — systems more akin to hurricane preparedness.

From Los Angeles Times

The attack raised questions over the UK's preparedness for the conflict.

From BBC

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.