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
In addition to their acts of goodwill, the win has allowed Kevin and Michele to enjoy their own lives to the fullest.
—
Eleanor Jacobs,
PEOPLE,
5 July 2026
By reopening the tab, Budweiser maintained goodwill, ensuring its dual anniversary celebration resonated positively.
—
Pamela N. Danziger,
Forbes.com,
4 July 2026
And count on Despicable spinoff Minions & Monsters to put up big numbers for 5-day grosses this year, given the Toy Story-levels of goodwill for that series.
—
Erik Hayden,
HollywoodReporter,
2 July 2026
By the end of the 1970s, the band and movemenet were losing goodwill, loathed by both the hip disco cognoscenti and a reactionary macho counterinsurgence that culminated in the vinyl furnace at Disco Demolition Night in Chicago.
—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
1 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for goodwill
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Eleanor Jacobs,
PEOPLE,
5 July 2026
By reopening the tab, Budweiser maintained goodwill, ensuring its dual anniversary celebration resonated positively.
—
Pamela N. Danziger,
Forbes.com,
4 July 2026
And count on Despicable spinoff Minions & Monsters to put up big numbers for 5-day grosses this year, given the Toy Story-levels of goodwill for that series.
—
Erik Hayden,
HollywoodReporter,
2 July 2026
By the end of the 1970s, the band and movemenet were losing goodwill, loathed by both the hip disco cognoscenti and a reactionary macho counterinsurgence that culminated in the vinyl furnace at Disco Demolition Night in Chicago.
—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
1 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for goodwill
Cite this Entry
“Goodwill.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/goodwill. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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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