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 Budget, says John Caudwell, with its £25bn rise in employers' National Insurance, undid a lot of the goodwill the chancellor had garnered.

From BBC

“With goodwill and common sense, I believe we can come up with ways to do this, without vilifying and demonizing children.”

From Salon

The North has so far rejected Lee's goodwill gestures, calling him "delusional" and a "daydreamer".

From BBC

On a bad day there was nothing at all, and she relied on the goodwill of her loving elder sister.

From BBC

Aside from practice, goodwill flowed to the team: L.A.’s NFL teams, the Rams and Chargers, welcomed the Dolphins to their facilities for special gatherings.

From Los Angeles Times