goodwill

noun

good·​will ˌgu̇d-ˈwil 

1

a

: a kindly feeling of approval and support : benevolent interest or concern

people of goodwill

b(1)

: the favor or advantage that a business has acquired especially through its brands and its good reputation

(2)

: the value of projected earnings increases of a business especially as part of its purchase price

(3)

: the excess of the purchase price of a company over its book value which represents the value of goodwill as an intangible asset for accounting purposes

2

a

: cheerful consent

accepted the terms of the contract with goodwill

b

: willing effort

good-willed

ˌgu̇d-ˈwild 

adjective

or less commonly goodwilled

Synonyms of goodwill

• friendship
• generosity
• friendliness
• cordiality

Examples of goodwill in a Sentence

She has goodwill toward all her coworkers.

They allowed him to keep the extra money as a gesture of goodwill.

Recent Examples on the Web

Last month, officials said 51 inmates would be freed as a goodwill gesture toward the Vatican. —Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 3 Apr. 2026

But their outsized influence over the town is beginning to test some residents’ goodwill. —Diane Brady, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2026

Last month, Cuba released 51 people from the island’s prisons in an unexpected move that officials said stems from a spirit of goodwill and close relations with the Vatican. —ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026

Rhule is refocused, recognizing that no goodwill or big gestures can erase the disappointment of three losses by big margins to end the season in 2025 — 37-10 at Penn State, 40-16 in Lincoln against Iowa and 44-22 against Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl. —Mitch Sherman, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing goodwill

• goodwill ambassador

Rhymes for goodwill

• anthill
• backfill
• bluegill
• crossbill
• distil
• distill
• downhill
• dunghill
• foothill
• fulfil
• fulfill
• gristmill

Kids Definition

goodwill

noun

good·​will -ˈwil 

1

: kindly feeling : benevolence

2

: the value of the trade a business has built up

3

a

: cheerful consent

b

: willing effort

Legal Definition

goodwill

noun

good·​will ˈgu̇d-ˌwil 

1

: an intangible asset that is made up of the favor or prestige which a business has acquired beyond the mere value of what it sells due to the personality or experience of those conducting it, their reputation for skill or dependability, the business's location, or any other circumstance incidental to the business that tends to draw and retain customers

2

a

: the value of projected increases in the earnings of a business especially as part of its purchase price

b

: the excess of the purchase price of a business above the value assigned for tax purposes to its other net assets

Note: The Internal Revenue Code requires the purchaser of a business to allocate the purchase price among the various types of assets. Frequently the purchase price is greater than the sum of the values of the individual assets. The excess is labeled goodwill. Because of its indefinite life, goodwill is not amortizable as an asset. The purchaser will therefore usually try to keep the allocation to goodwill as small as possible.