goodwill

Or good will

[good-wil]

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.

goodwill

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of goodwill¹

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

Synonym Study

See favor.

Example Sentences

That view echoes Europe’s habit of seeing Jews not as citizens with agency but as objects of history, dependent on their hosts’ goodwill.

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That small exchange, repeated across America, becomes a rehearsal for citizenship: an exercise in courage, respect and confidence in the goodwill of others.

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“I thought it was remarkable,” she said, “that the U.S. government decided, ‘Oh, we should send a baseball team to Japan to help repair relations and for goodwill.’

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Easing the path for departing companies also preserves goodwill for any future deals, Roy said.

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Over the years, Qualcomm’s top executives have met with Beijing’s top officials in an effort to show goodwill and maintain positive ties.

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