preparedness

noun

pre·​pared·​ness pri-ˈper-əd-nəs 

also

-ˈperd-nəs 

: the quality or state of being prepared

especially : a state of adequate preparation in case of war

Examples of preparedness in a Sentence

The military is in a state of preparedness.

Recent Examples on the Web

Social connectedness is another domain of aging well and longevity preparedness. —Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 22 Oct. 2025

But a coordinated national assessment of trends is a necessary part of preparedness, experts say, and that has lapsed. —Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2025

Government agencies in charge of national preparedness should have proactive visibility into the internal deployment and use of highly advanced AI systems and receive all relevant national-security-critical information necessary. —Yoshua Bengio, Time, 22 Oct. 2025

The quakes follows a series of others in the area, underscoring the importance of preparedness in regions at high seismic risk. —Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

prepared + -ness

First Known Use

1590, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for preparedness

• unpreparedness

Kids Definition

preparedness

noun

pre·​pared·​ness pri-ˈpar-əd-nəs  -ˈper- 

 also  -ˈpa(ə)rd-nəs,

 or  -ˈpe(ə)rd-

: the quality or state of being prepared

especially : a state of readiness for war