readiness
Readiness is a quality of being able or willing to do something. An athlete's readiness for the Olympics has to do with how warmed up she is, whether she's recovered from injuries, as well as her psychological state.
Your readiness for something usually has to do with how well prepared you are. Your parents might have decorated a room and bought a crib before you were born, in readiness for your arrival. And local police sometimes clear the streets and direct traffic away in readiness for a big parade. Readiness can also mean "willingness," like an eager kindergartner's readiness to learn how to read.
Definitions of readiness
-
the state of having been made ready or prepared for use or action (especially military action)“putting them in readiness”
-
synonyms:
preparation, preparedness
-
types:
- show 5 types...
- hide 5 types...
-
ready
poised for action
-
alert, qui vive
condition of heightened watchfulness or preparation for action
-
air alert
the condition in which combat aircraft are airborne and ready for an operation
-
red alert
the highest level of alert when an attack by the enemy seems imminent (or more generally a state of alert resulting from imminent danger)
-
strip alert
a state of readiness for domestic defense aircraft
-
type of:
-
state
the way something is with respect to its main attributes
-
prompt willingness“readiness to continue discussions”
-
synonyms:
eagerness, forwardness, zeal
-
type of:
-
willingness
cheerful compliance
-
willingness
-
(psychology) being temporarily ready to respond in a particular way
-
synonyms:
set
-
type of:
-
cognitive state, state of mind
the state of a person's cognitive processes
-
cognitive state, state of mind
-
a natural effortlessness“"a happy readiness of conversation"--Jane Austen”
-
synonyms:
facility
-
type of:
-
effortlessness
the quality of requiring little effort
-
effortlessness
Pronunciation
US
/ˈrɛdinɪs/
UK
/ˈrɛdinəs/
Cite this entry
Style:
MLA
- MLA
- APA
- Chicago
A paragraph of text
Copy citationDISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘readiness'.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
Send us feedback
Word Family
EDITOR'S CHOICE
Look up readiness for the last time
Close your vocabulary gaps with personalized learning that focuses on teaching the words you need to know.
