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.
His team has carried out experiments placing QR codes around his university campus and in workplaces, to study people's willingness to scan them.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
But restaurant owners are finding that customers’ willingness to pay for extra protein does not mean added profits.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026
He once boasted of his willingness to “take a bullet” for Trump.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
Some experts question whether that willingness currently exists.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
And so when Federalist leaders from New York approached him as a prospective candidate for the gubernatorial race, he indicated a willingness to switch party affiliations and run in his home state as a Federalist.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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.
