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

Progress in robotics Agility’s humanoid robot, Digit, has already entered the market, demonstrating its readiness to tackle the labor shortage in factories and warehouses. —Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 9 Mar. 2026

The Freedom Shield exercises aim to enhance interoperability, reinforce combined defense posture, and increase overall combat readiness, according to the US military. —Soo-Hyang Choi, Bloomberg, 9 Mar. 2026

Most institutions, however, remain in early planning or implementation stages of AI adoption, underscoring a significant readiness gap, according to Strata. —Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 9 Mar. 2026

Britain’s Ministry of Defense said Saturday that one of its two aircraft carriers had been placed on advanced readiness, raising speculation it could be deployed to the Mediterranean. —Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 8 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for readiness

• steadiness
• unsteadiness