goodwill
Americannoun
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friendly disposition; benevolence; kindness.
- Synonyms:
- friendliness
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cheerful acquiescence or consent.
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Commerce. an intangible, saleable asset arising from the reputation of a business and its relations with its customers, distinct from the value of its stock and other tangible assets.
noun
-
a feeling of benevolence, approval, and kindly interest
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(modifier) resulting from, showing, or designed to show goodwill
the government sent a goodwill mission to Moscow
a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF
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willingness or acquiescence
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accounting an intangible asset taken into account in assessing the value of an enterprise and reflecting its commercial reputation, customer connections, etc
Related Words
See favor.
Etymology
Origin of goodwill
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English gōd willa. See good, will 2
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.
“Negotiations are meaningful when the other side shows its goodwill,” he said in 2008, addressing Washington.
At my installation Mass, one of the strongest moments of applause came when I spoke about working with all people of goodwill for the common good.
The result partly reflects impairments and losses on the disposal of assets in the quarter of around 255 million euros, including noncash goodwill impairments in Telefonica Tech and its Chilean subsidiary.
The government first announced days after Maduro's capture, on 8 January, that "a significant number" of prisoners would be freed as a goodwill gesture.
From BBC
“How to Make a Killing” boasts an opening so strong that it buys enough audience goodwill to coast through nearly its entire running time.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
