goodwill

American  

[good-wil] / ˈgʊdˈwɪl /

Or good will

noun

1. friendly disposition; benevolence; kindness.

   Synonyms:

   friendliness

2. cheerful acquiescence or consent.

3. Commerce. an intangible, saleable asset arising from the reputation of a business and its relations with its customers, distinct from the value of its stock and other tangible assets.

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goodwill British  

/ ˌɡʊdˈwɪl /

noun

1. a feeling of benevolence, approval, and kindly interest

2. (modifier) resulting from, showing, or designed to show goodwill

   the government sent a goodwill mission to Moscow

   a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF

3. willingness or acquiescence

4. accounting an intangible asset taken into account in assessing the value of an enterprise and reflecting its commercial reputation, customer connections, etc

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Related Words

See favor.

Etymology

Origin of goodwill

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English gōd willa. See good, will ²

Example Sentences

"The way we've been treated has been disgusting," said the 43-year-old farmer who -despite receiving compensation from the company as a goodwill gesture - was still having issues.

From BBC

But the Northern Sea Route hugs Russia’s coast, which makes Beijing dependent on Moscow’s goodwill.

From MarketWatch

Christmas and early new year have barely passed us and the spirit of goodwill has certainly bypassed football management!

From BBC

Thailand freed the Cambodian soldiers on December 31, with its foreign ministry saying their release was "a demonstration of goodwill and confidence-building".

From Barron's

Unsurprisingly, gamers overwhelmingly voted to ditch the mechanic, and it has certainly bought the new boss a lot of goodwill.

From BBC