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alacrity

[uh-lak-ri-tee]
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR alacrity ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

cheerful readiness, promptness, or willingness: We accepted the invitation with alacrity.
liveliness; briskness.

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RELATED WORDS

readiness, eagerness, willingness, quickness, sprightliness, expedition, gaiety, dispatch, zeal, hilarity, fervor, avidity, enthusiasm, speed, cheerfulness, alertness, promptitude, briskness

Origin of alacrity

1500–10; < Latin alacritās, equivalent to alacri(s) lively + -tās- -ty2
Related formsa·lac·ri·tous, adjectiveun·a·lac·ri·tous, adjective

Synonyms for alacrity

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR alacrity ON THESAURUS.COM
1. eagerness, keenness; fervor, zeal. 2. sprightliness, agility.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for alacrity

Contemporary Examples of alacrity

Historical Examples of alacrity

  • The captain moved among them, and his orders were obeyed, but not with alacrity.

    Brave and Bold

    Horatio Alger

  • But, on his own part, he now saw no reason for a display of alacrity.

    The Secret Agent

    Joseph Conrad

  • That force had been got together with an alacrity which has seldom been equalled.

  • “All right,” Beauty Smith spoke up with the alacrity of fear.

    White Fang

    Jack London

  • "Why, certainly, certainly," the old man chirped with alacrity.

    The Mystery of Murray Davenport

    Robert Neilson Stephens

British Dictionary definitions for alacrity

alacrity

noun

liveliness or briskness
Derived Formsalacritous, adjective

Word Origin for alacrity

C15: from Latin alacritās, from alacer lively
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
Word Origin and History for alacrity
n.

mid-15c., from Latin alacritatem (nominative alacritas) "liveliness, ardor, eagerness," from alacer (genitive alacris) "cheerful, brisk, lively;" of uncertain origin, perhaps cognate with Gothic aljan "zeal," Old English ellen "courage, zeal, strength," Old High German ellian.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper