willingness
Americannoun
-
consent or readiness to do something.
The majority of the neighborhood’s older residents were employed, and younger people showed a willingness to work but often could not find jobs.
-
an inclination or preference: The country has shown no sign of willingness to make concessions.
We admire her willingness to stand up for what she believes.
The country has shown no sign of willingness to make concessions.
Other Word Forms
- overwillingness noun
- prewillingness noun
Etymology
Origin of willingness
Explanation
If someone's willing, he has the quality of willingness, which can vary from meaning "prepared," to "enthusiastic," like your little brother's eager willingness to help walk the dog. If your troop of Girl Scouts has a willingness to try anything, it means they stay cheerful and ready, even if they're hiking through a prickly field of thistles. When something is done with willingness, there is no sense of resentment or hesitation. The word's origin lies in the Old English wyllan, "to wish, desire, or want."
Vocabulary lists containing willingness
"Fears and Phobias"
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The Benefits of Being an Octopus
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The Rock and the River
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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.
Man and machine formed a connection, the willingness to bond appearing to come “more from the machine itself, which felt that someone understood it and was about to treat it well.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026
Now he is on his way out, Magyar could show willingness by greenlighting the opening of so-called negotiating "clusters" that EU officials insist Kyiv has long been ready for.
From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026
Bern's second try came after a neat offload from Claudia Moloney-MacDonald, which rewarded the hosts' willingness to play an open and expansive brand of rugby.
From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026
But he signaled Amazon’s willingness to endure these near-term headwinds for the long-term payoff.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026
Good old anyone with a pulse and a willingness to go walking with me.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
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.
