goodwill

or good will

[ good-wil ]

/ ˈgʊdˈwɪl /

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See synonyms for: goodwill / goodwills on Thesaurus.com

noun

friendly disposition; benevolence; kindness.

cheerful acquiescence or consent.

Commerce. an intangible, salable 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.

OTHER WORDS FOR goodwill

1 friendliness.

See synonyms for goodwill on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of goodwill

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English gōd willa. See good, will²

synonym study for goodwill

1. See favor.

Words nearby goodwill

good time, good-time Charlie, good turn, good usage, goodwife, goodwill, goodwilly, Goodwin Sands, Goodwood, good word, good works

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use goodwill in a sentence

My approach was to foster a lot of goodwill, if you have a good reputation on Reddit, you have a pretty good stranglehold on what the rest of the internet thinks of you.
‘Core to the identity of the internet’: How publishers are using Reddit to brand build and drive awareness|Lucinda Southern|October 6, 2020|Digiday
Federal prosecutors said Garmo’s gun-trafficking scheme, which included sales of high-capacity magazines, didn’t just bring in extra cash — it earned him goodwill among a class of donors he would need for a future run for sheriff.
Sheriff’s Department Made Excuses for Captain Who Pleaded Guilty to Arms Dealing|Jesse Marx|September 23, 2020|Voice of San Diego
On Kant’s view we need to understand how to help people adhere to the moral law because he thought that what matters most is one’s goodwill or motive.
Philosophy And Psychology Agree – Yelling At People Who Aren’t Wearing Masks Won’t Work|LGBTQ-Editor|September 21, 2020|No Straight News
When opportunity in great locations come up I think that goodwill will pay dividends for us.
Lululemon still plans to open more stores even as the pandemic ravages the retail landscape|Rachel King|September 18, 2020|Fortune

This move also potentially squanders the goodwill the company garnered by issuing ads credits to businesses hurt by the pandemic.
Google’s search terms move will make millions in ad spend invisible to advertisers|Ginny Marvin|September 3, 2020|Search Engine Land
The company would continue to refund these goodwill refunds.
The Insane $11 Billion Scam at Retailers’ Return Desks|M.L. Nestel|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There are few actresses these days that inspire more goodwill than Anna Kendrick.
Anna Kendrick on Feminism, #GamerGate, and the Celebrity Hacking Attack|Marlow Stern|November 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After all, freeing hostages as goodwill gestures—without a guarantee of some benefit—is not the way the Kim family operates.
Why North Korea Released Two Americans|Gordon G. Chang|November 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Eventually, it was gifted to Czar Peter the Great as a token of goodwill between the Germans and Russians.
The Biggest Art Heist of WWII is Still Unsolved||October 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As with a new president, there will likely be a short window of goodwill in which to act.
What the GOP Will Do If It Wins Congress|Stuart Stevens|October 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He or she is a radiating focus of goodwill; and their entrance into a room is as though another candle had been lighted.
The Pocket R.L.S.|Robert Louis Stevenson
She received Quentin Dick, to whom she was well known, with a mixture of goodwill and quiet dignity.
Hunted and Harried|R.M. Ballantyne
We came in peace and goodwill, not to maim and slay, or to spread alarm and desolation through thy land.
The Devil-Tree of El Dorado|Frank Aubrey
His journey was made an occasion for special demonstrations of goodwill among the rival courtiers.
Sir Walter Ralegh|William Stebbing
He collected fresh evidence of its fertility, salubrity, and riches, and of the goodwill of the natives towards Englishmen.
Sir Walter Ralegh|William Stebbing

British Dictionary definitions for goodwill

goodwill

/ (ˌɡʊdˈwɪl) /

noun

a feeling of benevolence, approval, and kindly interest

(modifier) resulting from, showing, or designed to show goodwillthe government sent a goodwill mission to Moscow; a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF

willingness or acquiescence

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

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

goodwill

or good will

OTHER WORDS FOR goodwill

Origin of goodwill

synonym study for goodwill

Words nearby goodwill

Words related to goodwill

How to use goodwill in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for goodwill