worthiness
Americannoun
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the fact or quality of having great or adequate merit, character, or value.
These experiences gave her the strength and energy to champion her belief in the fundamental dignity and worthiness of humankind.
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the fact or quality of meeting the standard for deserving a particular thing or person.
In The Lion King, Simba must come to terms with his guilt over his father's death and his worthiness to become king.
The princess decided to set the suitor a task to prove his worthiness of her hand.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of worthiness
Explanation
Worthiness is a quality of being suitable or having some kind of value. You can demonstrate your worthiness as a petsitter by showing up on time and taking good care of your neighbor's cats. When something (or someone) either merits your respect and admiration, or is perfectly suited for the task at hand, you can talk about its worthiness. When you vote for mayor, you probably choose the candidate whose worthiness to lead is most clear. Or you may find yourself in a philosophical conversation with a friend about the worthiness of various professions.
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.
Emphasize the word “I” and his question is about worthiness due to his lack of obvious qualifications for the monumental leadership position being offered.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026
“Tax time is when it’s revealed how the year went,” said Joyce Marter, a licensed psychotherapist in Cape Coral, Fla. “There can be issues of power and control, worthiness and resentment.”
From MarketWatch • Mar. 5, 2026
Mockery over the apparent worthiness of her reaction, including kissing the ground after landing and saying she felt "so connected to love", spread online.
From BBC • May 3, 2025
She and Luthen also share a ruthless devotion to pragmatism, although he applies that to the worthiness of strangers’ lives, whereas the good senator can’t help but sell out her loved ones.
From Salon • Apr. 22, 2025
Now I was the one under the microscope, the one who had to prove my worthiness.
From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini
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.
