Dictionary

readiness en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈɹɛdinəs/
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree English ready Proto-Germanic *-in- Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ti Proto-Germanic *-ōną Proto-Germanic *-inōną Proto-Indo-European *-dyé- Proto-Germanic *-atjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *-assuz Proto-Germanic *-inassuz Proto-West Germanic *-nassī Old English -nes Middle English -nesse English -ness English readiness From ready + -ness.

Meanings

1. (uncountable, usually) The state or degree of being ready; preparedness.
   • We expressed our readiness, and in ten minutes were in the station wagon, rolling rapidly down the long drive, for it was then after nine. We passed on the way the van of the guests from Asquith. 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter V, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:
   • Taiwanese people are at risk of becoming "numb" to China's daily military and other pressure tactics to wear down the island, but the threat is real and greater readiness is needed, Defence Minister Wellington Koo said. 2026 February 5, Ben Blanchard, “Taiwan risks becoming numb to China drills, but threat is urgent, defence minister says”, in Thomas Derpinghaus, editor, Reuters, archived from the original on 06 Feb 2026:
   • The very emphasis on reading readiness and on the methods employed to teach children the rudiments of reading has meant that the other, the higher, levels of reading have tended to be slighted. 1972, Mortimer J. Adler, Charles Van Doren, How to Read a Book, →ISBN, →LCCN, page 26:
   • readiness for civil emergencies
   • Euston is so traditionally a part of the London scene that many will lament the passing of the old station when rebuilding is complete in readiness for the new electric service, which will probably be by multiple-units between Euston and Wolverhampton. 1960 February, R. C. Riley, “The London-Birmingham services - Past, Present and Future”, in Trains Illustrated, page 99:
   • England had won just two of their previous six matches prior to facing Spain and manager Sarina Wiegman had been questioned about their readiness to defend their European title in Switzerland this summer. 2025 February 26, Emma Sanders, “'A proper English performance' against Spain”, in BBC Sport:
   • Meanwhile, 68018 has been debranded and lost its DRS colours, in readiness for its transfer to Chiltern as a standby rescue locomotive. 2025 November 12, “News in Brief: Latest Chiltern makeover”, in RAIL, number 1048, page 13:
2. (uncountable, usually) Willingness.
   • his readiness to help
   • It was a long, enduring scream — one that would send her back into a time and into a childhood which had been forgotten with the readiness that we forget unpleasant moments in our lives. 1976 December 18, Tommi Avicolli, “Previn's Bleak Book Has Note of Hope”, in Gay Community News, volume 4, number 25, page 18:

Forms

Deriveds

combat readiness · overreadiness

Translations (40)

got 𐌼𐌰𐌽𐍅𐌹𐌸𐌰 (state or degree of being ready) · ota حاضرلق (state or degree of being ready) · got 𐌼𐌿𐌽𐍃 (state or degree of being ready) · ga innealtacht (state or degree of being ready) · ga éascaíocht (state or degree of being ready) · pl gotowość (state or degree of being ready) · uk гото́вність (state or degree of being ready) · nb beredskap (state or degree of being ready) · grc ἑτοιμότης (state or degree of being ready) · hy պատրաստակամություն (state or degree of being ready) · et valmidus (state or degree of being ready) · eo preteco (state or degree of being ready) · la promptus (state or degree of being ready) · cs připravenost (state or degree of being ready) · gv arryltid (state or degree of being ready) · be гато́ўнасьць (state or degree of being ready) · fr préparation (state or degree of being ready) · gv appeeys (state or degree of being ready) · ga oirchill (state or degree of being ready) · nn beredskap (state or degree of being ready) · uk гото́вість (state or degree of being ready) · be гато́васць (state or degree of being ready) · hi तत्परता (state or degree of being ready) · sk pripravenosť (state or degree of being ready) · be гато́ўнасць (state or degree of being ready) · pt prontidão (state or degree of being ready) · hu készenlét (state or degree of being ready) · fi valmius (state or degree of being ready) · he מוּכָנוּת (state or degree of being ready) · ru гото́вность (state or degree of being ready) · de Bereitschaft (state or degree of being ready) · bg гото́вност (state or degree of being ready) · sv beredskap (state or degree of being ready) · es listeza (state or degree of being ready) · be гато́васьць (state or degree of being ready) · hy պատրաստություն (state or degree of being ready) · gv arryltys (state or degree of being ready) · gv appeeid (state or degree of being ready) · hu készültség (state or degree of being ready) · el ετοιμότητα (state or degree of being ready)