[syn: good will, goodwill]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Good \Good\, a. [Compar. Better; superl. Best. These words,
though used as the comparative and superlative of good, are
from a different root.] [AS. G[=o]d, akin to D. goed, OS.
g[=o]d, OHG. guot, G. gut, Icel. g[=o][eth]r, Sw. & Dan. god,
Goth. g[=o]ds; prob. orig., fitting, belonging together, and
akin to E. gather. [root]29 Cf. Gather.]
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1. Possessing desirable qualities; adapted to answer the end
designed; promoting success, welfare, or happiness;
serviceable; useful; fit; excellent; admirable;
commendable; not bad, corrupt, evil, noxious, offensive,
or troublesome, etc.
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And God saw everything that he had made, and behold,
it was very good. --Gen. i. 31.
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Good company, good wine, good welcome. --Shak.
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2. Possessing moral excellence or virtue; virtuous; pious;
religious; -- said of persons or actions.
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In all things showing thyself a pattern of good
works. --Tit. ii. 7.
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3. Kind; benevolent; humane; merciful; gracious; polite;
propitious; friendly; well-disposed; -- often followed by
to or toward, also formerly by unto.
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The men were very good unto us. --1 Sam. xxv.
15.
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4. Serviceable; suited; adapted; suitable; of use; to be
relied upon; -- followed especially by for.
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All quality that is good for anything is founded
originally in merit. --Collier.
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5. Clever; skillful; dexterous; ready; handy; -- followed
especially by at.
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He . . . is a good workman; a very good tailor.
--Shak.
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Those are generally good at flattering who are good
for nothing else. --South.
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6. Adequate; sufficient; competent; sound; not fallacious;
valid; in a commercial sense, to be depended on for the
discharge of obligations incurred; having pecuniary
ability; of unimpaired credit.
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My reasons are both good and weighty. --Shak.
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My meaning in saying he is a good man is . . . that
he is sufficient . . . I think I may take his bond.
--Shak.
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7. Real; actual; serious; as in the phrases in good earnest;
in good sooth.
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Love no man in good earnest. --Shak.
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8. Not small, insignificant, or of no account; considerable;
esp., in the phrases a good deal, a good way, a good
degree, a good share or part, etc.
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9. Not lacking or deficient; full; complete.
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Good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and
running over. --Luke vi. 38.
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10. Not blemished or impeached; fair; honorable; unsullied;
as in the phrases a good name, a good report, good
repute, etc.
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A good name is better than precious ointment.
--Eccl. vii.
1.
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As good as. See under As.
For good, or For good and all, completely and finally;
fully; truly.
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The good woman never died after this, till she came
to die for good and all. --L'Estrange.
Good breeding, polite or polished manners, formed by
education; a polite education.
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Distinguished by good humor and good breeding.
--Macaulay.
Good cheap, literally, good bargain; reasonably cheap.
Good consideration (Law).
(a) A consideration of blood or of natural love and
affection. --Blackstone.
(b) A valuable consideration, or one which will sustain a
contract.
Good fellow, a person of companionable qualities.
[Familiar]
Good folk, or Good people, fairies; brownies; pixies,
etc. [Colloq. Eng. & Scot.]
Good for nothing.
(a) Of no value; useless; worthless.
(b) Used substantively, an idle, worthless person.
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My father always said I was born to be a good
for nothing. --Ld. Lytton.
Good Friday, the Friday of Holy Week, kept in some churches
as a fast, in memoory of our Savior's passion or
suffering; the anniversary of the crucifixion.
Good humor, or Good-humor, a cheerful or pleasant temper
or state of mind.
Good humor man, a travelling vendor who sells Good Humor
ice-cream (or some similar ice-cream) from a small
refrigerated truck; he usually drives slowly through
residential neighborhoods in summertime, loudly playing
some distinctive recorded music to announce his presence.
[U. S.]
Good nature, or Good-nature, habitual kindness or
mildness of temper or disposition; amiability; state of
being in good humor.
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The good nature and generosity which belonged to his
character. --Macaulay.
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The young count's good nature and easy
persuadability were among his best characteristics.
--Hawthorne.
Good people. See Good folk (above).
Good speed, good luck; good success; godspeed; -- an old
form of wishing success. See Speed.
Good turn, an act of kidness; a favor.
Good will.
(a) Benevolence; well wishing; kindly feeling.
(b) (Law) The custom of any trade or business; the
tendency or inclination of persons, old customers and
others, to resort to an established place of
business; the advantage accruing from tendency or
inclination.
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The good will of a trade is nothing more than
the probability that the old customers will
resort to the old place. --Lord Eldon.
In good time.
(a) Promptly; punctually; opportunely; not too soon nor
too late.
(b) (Mus.) Correctly; in proper time.
To hold good, to remain true or valid; to be operative; to
remain in force or effect; as, his promise holds good; the
condition still holds good.
To make good, to fulfill; to establish; to maintain; to
supply (a defect or deficiency); to indemmify; to prove or
verify (an accusation); to prove to be blameless; to
clear; to vindicate.
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Each word made good and true. --Shak.
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Of no power to make his wishes good. --Shak.
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I . . . would by combat make her good. --Shak.
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Convenient numbers to make good the city. --Shak.
To think good, to approve; to be pleased or satisfied with;
to consider expedient or proper.
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If ye think good, give me my price; and if not,
forbear. --Zech. xi.
12.
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Note: Good, in the sense of wishing well, is much used in
greeting and leave-taking; as, good day, good night,
good evening, good morning, etc.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Will \Will\, n. [OE. wille, AS. willa; akin to OFries. willa,
OS. willeo, willio, D. wil, G. wille, Icel. vili, Dan.
villie, Sw. vilja, Goth wilja. See Will, v.]
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1. The power of choosing; the faculty or endowment of the
soul by which it is capable of choosing; the faculty or
power of the mind by which we decide to do or not to do;
the power or faculty of preferring or selecting one of two
or more objects.
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It is necessary to form a distinct notion of what is
meant by the word "volition" in order to understand
the import of the word will, for this last word
expresses the power of mind of which "volition" is
the act. --Stewart.
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Will is an ambiguous word, being sometimes put for
the faculty of willing; sometimes for the act of
that faculty, besides [having] other meanings. But
"volition" always signifies the act of willing, and
nothing else. --Reid.
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Appetite is the will's solicitor, and the will is
appetite's controller; what we covet according to
the one, by the other we often reject. --Hooker.
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The will is plainly that by which the mind chooses
anything. --J. Edwards.
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2. The choice which is made; a determination or preference
which results from the act or exercise of the power of
choice; a volition.
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The word "will," however, is not always used in this
its proper acceptation, but is frequently
substituted for "volition", as when I say that my
hand mover in obedience to my will. --Stewart.
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3. The choice or determination of one who has authority; a
decree; a command; discretionary pleasure.
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Thy will be done. --Matt. vi.
10.
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Our prayers should be according to the will of God.
--Law.
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4. Strong wish or inclination; desire; purpose.
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Note: "Inclination is another word with which will is
frequently confounded. Thus, when the apothecary says,
in Romeo and Juliet,
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My poverty, but not my will, consents; . . .
Put this in any liquid thing you will,
And drink it off.
[1913 Webster] the word will is plainly used as,
synonymous with inclination; not in the strict logical
sense, as the immediate antecedent of action. It is
with the same latitude that the word is used in common
conversation, when we speak of doing a thing which duty
prescribes, against one's own will; or when we speak of
doing a thing willingly or unwillingly." --Stewart.
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5. That which is strongly wished or desired.
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What's your will, good friar? --Shak.
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The mariner hath his will. --Coleridge.
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6. Arbitrary disposal; power to control, dispose, or
determine.
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Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies.
--Ps. xxvii.
12.
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7. (Law) The legal declaration of a person's mind as to the
manner in which he would have his property or estate
disposed of after his death; the written instrument,
legally executed, by which a man makes disposition of his
estate, to take effect after his death; testament; devise.
See the Note under Testament, 1.
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Note: Wills are written or nuncupative, that is, oral. See
Nuncupative will, under Nuncupative.
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At will (Law), at pleasure. To hold an estate at the will
of another, is to enjoy the possession at his pleasure,
and be liable to be ousted at any time by the lessor or
proprietor. An estate at will is at the will of both
parties.
Good will. See under Good.
Ill will, enmity; unfriendliness; malevolence.
To have one's will, to obtain what is desired; to do what
one pleases.
Will worship, worship according to the dictates of the will
or fancy; formal worship. [Obs.]
Will worshiper, one who offers will worship. [Obs.] --Jer.
Taylor.
With a will, with willingness and zeal; with all one's
heart or strength; earnestly; heartily.
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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
good will
n 1: a disposition to kindness and compassion; "the victor's
grace in treating the vanquished" [syn: grace, good
will, goodwill]
2: (accounting) an intangible asset valued according to the
advantage or reputation a business has acquired (over and
above its tangible assets) [syn: good will, goodwill]
3: the friendly hope that something will succeed [syn: good
will, goodwill]