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

For 16 years, with a brief respite during President Trump’s first term, the military drifted into a laboratory for progressive priorities -- diversity quotas, climate initiatives, and gender policies that sapped readiness and lethality. —Matt Schoenfeldt, National Review, 21 June 2025

Lindblad has several paths into one of the four Red Bull seats available in F1, and his test in Italy will be one of many data points used to analyze his readiness for the next level. —Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 June 2025

This is the type of trade that’s been prioritized by Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix, who has shown a preference for accumulating talent over big-league readiness. —Jim Bowden, New York Times, 20 June 2025

Team employees moved into the Crimson Park Apartments a half-hour south of the city, in Norman, and team operations were run out of a Sheraton hotel a block from the arena in what became a trial run to gauge the city’s readiness to support a major-league team. —Andrew Greif, NBC news, 19 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for readiness

• steadiness
• unsteadiness