goodwill

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A kind and friendly attitude towards other people.

   The two countries exchanged gifts as a sign of goodwill.

2. 2
   noun

   The good reputation of a business, treated as something of value beyond its physical property.

   When they bought the company, they also paid for its goodwill.

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.

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