willingness
Americannoun
-
consent or readiness to do something.
The majority of the neighborhood’s older residents were employed, and younger people showed a willingness to work but often could not find jobs.
-
an inclination or preference: The country has shown no sign of willingness to make concessions.
We admire her willingness to stand up for what she believes.
The country has shown no sign of willingness to make concessions.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of willingness
Explanation
If someone's willing, he has the quality of willingness, which can vary from meaning "prepared," to "enthusiastic," like your little brother's eager willingness to help walk the dog. If your troop of Girl Scouts has a willingness to try anything, it means they stay cheerful and ready, even if they're hiking through a prickly field of thistles. When something is done with willingness, there is no sense of resentment or hesitation. The word's origin lies in the Old English wyllan, "to wish, desire, or want."
Vocabulary lists containing willingness
"Fears and Phobias"
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The Benefits of Being an Octopus
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The Rock and the River
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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.
Iran, however, has long faced sanctions and has so far shown a willingness to endure pain and a capacity to adapt to immense economic and military pressure as the conflict drags on.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
The recent selloff in bonds has done little to curb corporate issuers’ ability or willingness to raise debt.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
Parker believes that the sanctions are "only as powerful" as the willingness of targeted countries to comply with American foreign policy objectives, or face potentially painful sanctions on trade involving the US dollar.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
They’re almost always surfer dudes with the fearless spirit of a pole vaulter and the willingness to experiment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
There are answers to these questions, but they are difficult to swallow when millions of Americans have displayed a willingness to elect a black man president of the United States.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
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.
