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

"There is a lot of goodwill behind him, there is an enormous challenge, and we have to meet that challenge as a team."

From BBC

With Maduro standing trial on drug trafficking charges in New York, Guanipa's son appeared sceptical a few days after the interim government announced its "goodwill gesture".

From BBC

South Korea saw the U.S. move to allow aid as a gesture of goodwill that could serve as a starting point for engagement with North Korea, a South Korean official said.

From The Wall Street Journal

Naver said goodwill impairment losses and corporate taxes weighed on earnings.

From The Wall Street Journal

The U.S. used the previous round of talks in late January to suggest that each side refrain from striking each other’s energy infrastructure as a gesture of goodwill.

From The Wall Street Journal