Goodness

How to spell goodness

8 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce goodness

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does goodness mean?

1. nounThe quality of being morally good, kind, or beneficial.

Goodness in a sentence

• The charity relies on the goodness of ordinary volunteers.

• She saw real goodness in her neighbour's quiet generosity.

Where does goodness come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This is a thoroughly native English word, built from the Old English adjective 'god', meaning virtuous, pleasing, or fit for purpose, which is the same word we still write as 'good' today. To it was added the productive Old English suffix '-nes' (later '-ness'), which turns an adjective into a noun naming the state or quality of being that thing, so 'goodness' literally meant the quality of being good. The form is attested in Old English as 'godnes', long before the Norman Conquest, and has stayed remarkably stable in meaning ever since. Over the centuries it picked up a softer life as a mild exclamation, as in 'my goodness' or 'thank goodness', where it stands in politely for stronger oaths. The spelling trap is purely mechanical: the doubled 'o' of 'good' carries straight through, and the suffix doubles the 's' as well, giving a word with two pairs of repeated letters.

How the word is built

• good (Old English god: virtuous, pleasant)
• -ness (noun suffix denoting state or quality)