goodwill

The word “goodwill” means a friendly, favorable attitude toward someone or something. In plain terms, friendly intentions and cooperation — or, in business, the reputation-based value of a company beyond its assets.

“Goodwill” is pronounced guud-WIHL (/ˌɡʊdˈwɪl/ in IPA).

Here is “goodwill” used in a sentence: “The two companies signed the deal in a spirit of goodwill.”

The opposite of “goodwill” — its antonyms — is ill will.

“Goodwill” is a noun.

The word “goodwill” comes from Middle English. From Middle English good wille, built from "good" and "will"; the thrift-shop sense comes from the US charity Goodwill Industries.

“Goodwill” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

“Goodwill” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a friendly, favorable attitude toward someone or something.

In everyday use, goodwill refers to a friendly, favorable attitude toward someone or something, such as goodwill between neighbors. In accounting, goodwill instead refers to the intangible value of a business beyond its physical assets, such as brand reputation or customer loyalty, and is a specific financial term used in valuations.

"Goodwill" is capitalized when referring specifically to the Goodwill charity, a thrift or charity shop chain in the US. The lowercase "goodwill" is used for the general senses relating to friendliness or business value.

Reputation is the general public perception of a company, while goodwill in accounting is a specific measurable asset representing the value a business has beyond its tangible assets, often including reputation as one factor. Goodwill appears as a line item on financial statements, whereas reputation does not have a set monetary value.