readiness

noun

read·​i·​ness ˈre-dē-nəs 

: the quality or state of being ready: such as

a

: a state of preparation

As Apollo approached readiness, a new system for validating flight hardware came into use.

—William Hines

… conditions that prevented all regiments being brought to battle readiness simultaneously …

—Graham A. Cosmas

Pym presented himself at the entrance to the school drive in readiness for Mr. Cudlove's arrival.

—John le Carré

b

: prompt willingness

Kostunica has already expressed his readiness to talk with independence-minded leaders in Montenegro …

—Joshua Hammer et al.

Civil War reportage owed its successes also to the readiness of the military to accept photography as a new visual tool …

—Naomi Rosenblum

c

: ease, facility

The introduction was followed up on his side by a happy readiness of conversation …

—Jane Austen

Examples of readiness in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Relativity is ahead in second stage testing, but Stoke has a lead in launch site readiness. — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 20 Oct. 2026

Organizations that have done the math, tested it and closed the readiness gap will be in a strong position to withstand the next attack, and more likely to still have customers, revenue and credibility when the dust settles. — Michael Wu, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026

Solar and storage have scaled quickly in recent years on cost and technical readiness alone. — Dr. Sarah Kapnick, semafor.com, 20 Oct. 2026

The Kremlin said Putin voiced support for Vatican efforts to help protect the population and secure vital supplies, and voiced readiness to cooperate. — Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for readiness

• steadiness
• unsteadiness