alacrity
noun
alac·ri·ty
ə-ˈla-krə-tē 
: promptness in response : cheerful readiness
accepted the invitation with alacrity
Did you know?
Alacrity Predates Shakespeare
“I have not that alacrity of spirit / Nor cheer of mind that I was wont to have,” says William Shakespeare’s King Richard III in the play that bears his name. Alas and alack, Richard! Alacrity comes from the Latin word alacer, meaning “lively” or “eager,” and suggests physical quickness coupled with eagerness or enthusiasm. Thus, a spirit that lacks alacrity—like Richard III’s—is in the doldrums, in need of a little (to use a much less formal word than alacrity) get-up-and-go.
Examples of alacrity in a Sentence
Surely one of the most striking features of human dynamics is the alacrity with which those who have been oppressed will oppress whomever they can once the opportunity presents itself.
—
Randall Kennedy, Atlantic, May 1997
Every Disney worker I spoke to, from ticket sellers to gardeners sprucing up already-immaculate flower beds, knew the answer to my questions and responded with smiling alacrity.
—Ken Tucker, Entertainment Weekly, 22 June 1990
… when he entered the drawing room before dinner, the buzz of discussion was high between Tom, Maria, and Mr. Yates; and Mr. Rushworth stepped forward with great alacrity to tell him the agreeable news.
—Jane Austen, Mansfield Park, 1814
She accepted the invitation with an alacrity that surprised me.
having just acquired his driver's license that morning, the teen agreed with alacrity to drive his cousin to the airport
Randall Kennedy, Atlantic, May 1997
Every Disney worker I spoke to, from ticket sellers to gardeners sprucing up already-immaculate flower beds, knew the answer to my questions and responded with smiling alacrity.
—Ken Tucker, Entertainment Weekly, 22 June 1990
… when he entered the drawing room before dinner, the buzz of discussion was high between Tom, Maria, and Mr. Yates; and Mr. Rushworth stepped forward with great alacrity to tell him the agreeable news.
—Jane Austen, Mansfield Park, 1814
She accepted the invitation with an alacrity that surprised me.
having just acquired his driver's license that morning, the teen agreed with alacrity to drive his cousin to the airport
Recent Examples on the Web
Quenneville and Killorn emphasized enthusiasm and alacrity, with Killorn cautioning against attention to detail transforming into something more obsessive.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 13 May 2026
But alacrity was possible because drafting the Declaration required no study.
—Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
From alacrity to deference Presidents Woodrow Wilson and Franklin D. Roosevelt made their case for war and obtained a formal declaration from Congress within three days in 1917 and within the same afternoon in 1941, respectively.
—Robert Haswell, The Conversation, 17 Apr. 2026
Neither Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune nor Schumer, his Democratic equal, have shown any alacrity as of yet to cancel recess.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for alacrity
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Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 13 May 2026
But alacrity was possible because drafting the Declaration required no study.
—Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
From alacrity to deference Presidents Woodrow Wilson and Franklin D. Roosevelt made their case for war and obtained a formal declaration from Congress within three days in 1917 and within the same afternoon in 1941, respectively.
—Robert Haswell, The Conversation, 17 Apr. 2026
Neither Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune nor Schumer, his Democratic equal, have shown any alacrity as of yet to cancel recess.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for alacrity
Cite this Entry
“Alacrity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alacrity. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
alacrity
noun
alac·ri·ty
ə-ˈlak-rət-ē
: a cheerful readiness to do something
accepted with alacrity
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