preparedness
Americannoun
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the state of being prepared; readiness.
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possession of adequate armed forces, industrial resources and potential, etc., especially as a deterrent to enemy attack.
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of preparedness
Explanation
Preparedness is a condition of being completely ready for something, especially some kind of disaster. Your family's preparedness for an approaching hurricane might include an evacuation plan. The noun preparedness has been around since the 16th century, originally simply meaning "a state of being prepared." That definition is still used today, but it's more common when talking about something potentially devastating, like a war or a natural disaster. If you live on an earthquake fault line, your town's preparedness may consist of emergency shelters and reinforced buildings. A country's military preparedness is its readiness to fight a war or defend itself.
Vocabulary lists containing preparedness
Haiti Earthquake One-Year Report
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Unit 8, Week 3
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The Suffix -ness, Part 3
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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.
The Welsh government said it was "committed to improving our nation's preparedness for climate impacts".
From BBC • May 20, 2026
The World Health Organization recommends a 42-day quarantine and "active follow-up", including daily checks for symptoms such as fever, the UN body's epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention director, Maria Van Kerkhove, said in Geneva.
From Barron's • May 11, 2026
McGinn said that, speaking from a strict military preparedness perspective, there can never be enough depth and that the only way to achieve more depth is to invest in more breadth.
From Salon • May 8, 2026
Recently, I experimented with prompts designed to make Claude act as a private banker, which I picked up from X. It shared an overview of everything from my asset allocation to preparedness for retirement.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026
On this occasion the king released political prisoners, remitted taxes, endowed temples, forgave rebels, increased military preparedness and, in short, did all the things that modern rulers do when they wish to stay in office.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
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.
