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Synonyms

preparedness

American  
[pri-pair-id-nis, -paird-nis] / prɪˈpɛər ɪd nɪs, -ˈpɛərd nɪs /

noun

  1. the state of being prepared; prepare; readiness.

  2. possession of adequate armed forces, industrial resources and potential, etc., especially as a deterrent to enemy attack.

preparedness British  
/ prɪˈpɛərɪdnɪs /

noun

  1. the state of being prepared or ready, esp militarily ready for war

"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

Other Word Forms

  • preparedly adverb
  • unpreparedness noun

Etymology

Origin of preparedness

First recorded in 1580–90; prepared + -ness

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

McGowan never responded to that text message, but Vaquero said he brought up the suggestion of a preparedness alert when McGowan returned to the emergency operations center about an hour later.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

You might guess that Ahtoniemi is a soldier in the Finnish army, but his preparedness is instead related to his work at nationwide supermarket business S Group.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

Congress gradually has expanded its understanding of national defense beyond U.S. military preparedness, the report noted.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 13, 2026

“Their defensive posture isn’t what it needs to be,” said Bryan Stern, chief executive of Grey Bull Rescue, a nonprofit evacuating Americans and U.S. allies from the Middle East, said of the Emirates’ preparedness.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 4, 2026

“There is nothing to do but confess my lack of preparedness to Miss Mortimer,” she thought.

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.