goodwill en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˌɡɵdˈwɪl/ (British, Southern, Standard)
- /ˌɡʊdˈwɪl/ (Australia, Canada, Received-Pronunciation, US)
- /ˌɡʉdˈwɪl/ (Northern-Ireland, Scotland)
- /ˌɡʊdˈwəl/ (New-Zealand)
- (Southern-England) audio
Etymology
From Middle English *goodwille, good wille, possibly from Old English *gōdwille (compare gōdwillende (“well-pleased”)). Compare also Scots guidwilly, guidwillie (“displaying goodwill”). By surface analysis, 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 the US-based chain Goodwill Industries.
Meanings
- (uncountable, usually) A favorably disposed attitude toward someone or something.
- (uncountable, usually) 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.
- (uncountable, usually) 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.
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(qualifier:trade unionism, uncountable, usually) The willingness of a worker to perform activities not strictly within the scope of the employment contract and not just work to rule.
As Denning MR said in Secretary of State for Employment v ASLEF (No. 2) (1972): 'a man is not bound to do more for his employer than his contract requires. He can withdraw his goodwill if he pleases.'
2007 [1972], John Duddington, quoting Tom Denning, Baron Denning, Employment Law, Pearson Education, →ISBN, page 101: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.
2022 November 16, Graham Eccles, “The Rest Day Working saga...”, in RAIL, number 970, page 32:
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(Canada, US, capitalized, countable, uncommon, usually) A thrift shop.
Eventually she made her way onto a train, disguised in a wig and wheeling a pram complete with lifelike baby doll, just purchased from a goodwill store. Everyone seemed to want to look at 'her baby' and she had to pull the blankets over it as far as they would go or suspicions would have been aroused. A woman in a colorful dress who was sitting opposite Angie[…]
2008, Esther Carney, Avenging Angel, zeus, →ISBN, page 445:And I got tired of mom buying me used clothes from a goodwill store. I always thought back then, if Dad wouldn't had drank so much, he could have given mom a little bit more money to clothe us better. I say us, remember I had two sisters, and mom would buy them used clothes, also[…]
2025 January 7, Robert Garcia, Died Three Times Lived Once, AuthorHouse, →ISBN:Buy from goodwills, garage sales, friends, and neighbors. Choose beautiful, functional, durable items made by craftspeople.
1990, Karen Christensen, Home Ecology: Simple and Practical Ways to Green Your Home, Fulcrum Publishing, page 65:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| goodwills | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| good-will | alternative, dated | lexicographic |
Antonyms
Deriveds
goodwiller · goodwill ambassador · goodwilly
Synonyms
Translations (94)
pl życzliwość (favorably disposed attitude) · nb goodwill (accounting: the value of a business entity not directly attributable to its tangible assets and liabilities) · sv välvilja (favorably disposed attitude) · ru делова́я репута́ция (accounting: the value of a business entity not directly attributable to its tangible assets and liabilities) · bg благоскло́нност (favorably disposed attitude) · ko 영업권 (accounting: the value of a business entity not directly attributable to its tangible assets and liabilities) · hi सौहार्द (favorably disposed attitude) · fi liikearvo (accounting: the value of a business entity not directly attributable to its tangible assets and liabilities) · pt boa vontade (favorably disposed attitude) · sk dobrá vôľa (favorably disposed attitude) · la bona voluntas (favorably disposed attitude) · es bienquerencia (favorably disposed attitude) · pl dobra wola (favorably disposed attitude) · ru благожела́тельность (favorably disposed attitude) · de ideeller Unternehmenswert (accounting: the value of a business entity not directly attributable to its tangible assets and liabilities) · ia bon voler (favorably disposed attitude) · uk доброзичли́вість (favorably disposed attitude) · io bonvolo (favorably disposed attitude) · fr survaleur (business: ability of an individual or business to exert influence within a community, club, market or another type of group) · ru благоскло́нность (favorably disposed attitude) · sh dobra volja (favorably disposed attitude) · da velvilje (favorably disposed attitude) · ko 친선 (favorably disposed attitude) · bg добра́ во́ля (favorably disposed attitude) · hu jóakarat (favorably disposed attitude) · pl renoma (accounting: the value of a business entity not directly attributable to its tangible assets and liabilities) · nl goede wil (favorably disposed attitude) · ko 선의 (favorably disposed attitude) · cmn 好意 (favorably disposed attitude) · ga cáilmheas (business: ability of an individual or business to exert influence within a community, club, market or another type of group) · cmn 商譽 /商誉 (business: ability of an individual or business to exert influence within a community, club, market or another type of group) · it buona volontà (favorably disposed attitude) · fr bonne volonté (favorably disposed attitude) · fr cote d'estime (accounting: the value of a business entity not directly attributable to its tangible assets and liabilities) · tl mabuting kalooban (favorably disposed attitude) · fi hyvä tahto (favorably disposed attitude) · nl welwillendheid (favorably disposed attitude) · ja 善意 (favorably disposed attitude) · fi hyväntahtoisuus (favorably disposed attitude) · pl przychylność (favorably disposed attitude) · ru доброжела́тельность (favorably disposed attitude) · cs dobrá vůle (favorably disposed attitude) · fr écart d'acquisition (business: ability of an individual or business to exert influence within a community, club, market or another type of group) · grc εὔνοια (favorably disposed attitude) · cmn 善意 (favorably disposed attitude) · fr bienveillance (favorably disposed attitude) · ru благоволе́ние (favorably disposed attitude) · sco guidwill (favorably disposed attitude) · uk до́бра во́ля (favorably disposed attitude) · uk добрози́чливість (favorably disposed attitude) · nn goodwill (accounting: the value of a business entity not directly attributable to its tangible assets and liabilities) · el αέρας (accounting: the value of a business entity not directly attributable to its tangible assets and liabilities) · be до́брая во́ля (favorably disposed attitude) · ga dea-mhéin (favorably disposed attitude) · eo bonvolo (favorably disposed attitude) · he רָצוֹן טוֹב (favorably disposed attitude) · sv affärsvärde (accounting: the value of a business entity not directly attributable to its tangible assets and liabilities) · nl goedwil (accounting: the value of a business entity not directly attributable to its tangible assets and liabilities) · ga cáilmheas (accounting: the value of a business entity not directly attributable to its tangible assets and liabilities) · fi goodwill (accounting: the value of a business entity not directly attributable to its tangible assets and liabilities) · nl goodwill (accounting: the value of a business entity not directly attributable to its tangible assets and liabilities) · pl renoma (business: ability of an individual or business to exert influence within a community, club, market or another type of group) · hi हितेच्छा (favorably disposed attitude) · gd gean-math (favorably disposed attitude) · el εύνοια (favorably disposed attitude) · ja 暖簾 (accounting: the value of a business entity not directly attributable to its tangible assets and liabilities) · ja 親善 (favorably disposed attitude) · hu befolyásolási képesség (business: ability of an individual or business to exert influence within a community, club, market or another type of group) · nn tillit (favorably disposed attitude) · ro bunăvoință (favorably disposed attitude) · hu jóindulat (favorably disposed attitude) · sl dobra volja (favorably disposed attitude) · fi vaikutusvalta (business: ability of an individual or business to exert influence within a community, club, market or another type of group) · ga dea-thoil (accounting: the value of a business entity not directly attributable to its tangible assets and liabilities) · hi सद्भाव (favorably disposed attitude) · es bienquerer (favorably disposed attitude) · be добразы́члівасць (favorably disposed attitude) · mk добра волја (favorably disposed attitude) · de guter Wille (favorably disposed attitude) · el καλή θέληση (favorably disposed attitude) · pl benewolencja (favorably disposed attitude) · nn velvilje (favorably disposed attitude) · nb velvilje (favorably disposed attitude) · sv goodwill (accounting: the value of a business entity not directly attributable to its tangible assets and liabilities) · el ευμένεια (favorably disposed attitude) · es buena voluntad (favorably disposed attitude) · hi हितैषिता (favorably disposed attitude) · mi arohanui (favorably disposed attitude) · sh добра воља (favorably disposed attitude) · cmn 商譽 /商誉 (accounting: the value of a business entity not directly attributable to its tangible assets and liabilities) · fr achalandage (accounting: the value of a business entity not directly attributable to its tangible assets and liabilities) · nb tillit (favorably disposed attitude) · pl łaskawość (favorably disposed attitude) · ru до́брая во́ля (favorably disposed attitude)