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
The woman who’d spent her life angling for worthiness.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 25, 2025
"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
She might be drilling me in sums and vocabulary every week, but I made a point to teach her a few things—mostly about the worthiness of reading the daily newspapers and being an Informed Citizen.
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
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.
