goodwill
/ˌɡʊdˈwɪl/
Frequency: 3.67 in modern English
Meaning
noun
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
noun
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.
Uncountable
noun
The willingness of a worker to perform activities not strictly within the scope of the employment contract and not just work to rule.
Uncountable
verb
To voluntarily provide or cover some or all of the cost of (something) to maintain goodwill.
Transitive verb
noun
Alternative letter-case form of goodwill (“thrift shop”).
name
A surname.
Example Sentences
- "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.'"
- "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."
- "Buy from goodwills, garage sales, friends, and neighbors. Choose beautiful, functional, durable items made by craftspeople."
- "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[…]"
- "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[…]"
- "The company goodwilled the cost of the repairs."
Etymology
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˌɡʊdˈwɪl/
- British English: /ˌɡʊdˈwɪl/
Usage
- Uncountable
- Canadian usage
- American usage
- Countable
- Transitive verb