goodwill

Alternative forms

• good-will (archaic)

Etymology

From Middle English *goodwille, good wille (“goodwill”), perhaps from Old English *gōdwille (“goodwill”); compare Old English gōdwillende (“well-pleased”); also Scots guidwilly, guidwillie (“displaying goodwill”), equivalent to good +‎ will. Cognate with Scots guidwill (“goodwill”), Middle Low German gūtwille (“goodwill”), Old High German guotwilligi (“goodwill”), Old Danish godvilje (“goodwill”), Icelandic góðvilji, góðvili (“goodwill”), Icelandic góðvild (“goodness”). The sense "thrift shop" is a genericized trademark of a US chain of such shops.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡʊdˈwɪl/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪl
• Hyphenation: good‧will

Noun

goodwill (usually uncountable, plural goodwills)

1. A favorably disposed attitude toward someone or something.
   • 20 January 2017, Donald Trump, Inauguration Speech

     We will seek friendship and goodwill with the nations of the world — but we do so with the understanding that it is the right of all nations to put their own interests first.

   • 2022 November 16, Graham Eccles, “The Rest Day Working saga...”, in RAIL, number 970, page 32:

     The downside of this cost-saving strategy was that the train service could only be covered by goodwill. Whenever there was a spat between ASLEF and management - regardless of cause - the withdrawal of this goodwill became a stick with which unions could beat management.

2. (accounting) The value of a business entity not directly attributable to its tangible assets and liabilities, deriving from factors such as consumer loyalty to the brand.
3. (business) A concept used to refer to the ability of an individual or business to exert influence within a community, club, market or another type of group, without having to resort to the use of an asset (such as money or property), either directly or by the creation of a lien.
4. (countable, also capitalized, Canada, US) A thrift shop.

See also

• bona fides

Etymology

Borrowed from English goodwill.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡut.ʋɪl/, [ˈɡut.ʋɪl], [ˈɡud.wɪl]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: good‧will

Noun

goodwill m (uncountable)

1. goodwill

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English goodwill.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡudwil/, [ˈɡudwil]
• Rhymes: -udwil

Noun

goodwill

1. goodwill (intangible business value)

Further reading

• “goodwill”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎ (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-02