# goodwill

/ˈɡʊdˈwɪɫ/ (US) · /ɡˈʊdwɪl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/goodwill
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. kindness and cooperation

noun · CEFR B2

a friendly and helpful feeling toward other people or a desire to help them.

For teachers: a benevolent or kindly disposition toward others, often facilitating cooperation or peace.

- The festival was organized as a gesture of goodwill between the two neighboring towns.
- The diplomatic mission was intended to foster international goodwill and resolve the long-standing border dispute through peaceful negotiation.

### 2. business value

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

the value of a company's good reputation and its loyal customers, which makes it worth more than just its physical assets.

For teachers: the intangible asset representing the value of a business's reputation, brand, and customer base beyond its physical property.

- When he sold the bakery, he charged extra for the goodwill he had built up over twenty years.
- The acquisition price significantly exceeded the book value of the company's assets, reflecting the substantial goodwill associated with its market-leading brand.

Usage: In accounting, this is treated as an intangible asset on a balance sheet.

### 3. extra effort at work

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

the willingness of workers to do more than their basic job description to help a company succeed.

For teachers: the voluntary commitment of employees to perform tasks beyond their contractual obligations.

- The management relied on the goodwill of the staff to finish the project before the deadline.
- Following the pay cuts, the loss of employee goodwill led to a noticeable decline in productivity and workplace morale.

### 4. a thrift store

noun · CEFR B1 · American English

a shop that sells used items to raise money for charity.

For teachers: a charitable organization or thrift shop, specifically referring to the North American non-profit entity.

- I took my old clothes to the Goodwill so someone else could use them.
- She managed to find a vintage designer coat at the local Goodwill for a fraction of its original retail price.

Teaching tip: While 'goodwill' is a general concept, in the US and Canada it almost always refers to the specific 'Goodwill Industries' stores.

## Examples

- The charity relies on the goodwill of local people.
- The company's high purchase price was largely due to the goodwill it had built with customers over fifty years.
- When the firm was acquired, the accountants calculated the goodwill as the difference between the total purchase price and the fair market value of the identifiable net assets.

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