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
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
General social customs presuppose people of goodwill, not such extreme and unfortunate cases.
—
Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 29 July 2025
Every positive interaction adds to your account, creating a reservoir of goodwill that pays dividends for years.
—Archer Chiang, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
The two also share a border and a collective distinction as the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, established in 1932 to honor peace and goodwill between the United States and Canada.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 July 2025
The Virgo moon teaming up with Jupiter gives you an opportunity to display your neighborly goodwill.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 27 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for goodwill
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Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 29 July 2025
Every positive interaction adds to your account, creating a reservoir of goodwill that pays dividends for years.
—Archer Chiang, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
The two also share a border and a collective distinction as the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, established in 1932 to honor peace and goodwill between the United States and Canada.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 July 2025
The Virgo moon teaming up with Jupiter gives you an opportunity to display your neighborly goodwill.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 27 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for goodwill
Cite this Entry
“Goodwill.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/goodwill. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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.
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