worthiness

American

[wur-thee-nis] / ˈwɜr ði nɪs /

noun

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.
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

preworthiness noun

Etymology

Origin of worthiness

worthy ( def. ) + -ness ( def. )

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.

“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

"I can't change the credit worthiness of the city, but I can change how investors look at our sustainability work, and make it more attractive to them."

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2025

As much as our culture wants you to believe otherwise, your debt balance isn’t a reflection of your financial responsibility or your overall worthiness as a human being.

From Salon • Jan. 16, 2025

I think some of the residue of the work that I’m doing in therapy is worthiness and belonging.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 13, 2024

Once he had proven his worthiness, I would present the child to him and behold his joy.

From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein

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