readiness

noun

read·​i·​ness ˈre-dē-nəs 

: the quality or state of being ready: such as

a

: a state of preparation

As Apollo approached readiness, a new system for validating flight hardware came into use.

—William Hines

… conditions that prevented all regiments being brought to battle readiness simultaneously …

—Graham A. Cosmas

Pym presented himself at the entrance to the school drive in readiness for Mr. Cudlove's arrival.

—John Le Carré

b

: prompt willingness

Kostunica has already expressed his readiness to talk with independence-minded leaders in Montenegro …

—Joshua Hammer et al.

Civil War reportage owed its successes also to the readiness of the military to accept photography as a new visual tool …

—Naomi Rosenblum

c

: ease, facility

The introduction was followed up on his side by a happy readiness of conversation

—Jane Austen

Examples of readiness in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Trump claimed in the order that service by troops who identify as a gender different from their biological one conflicts with military discipline and readiness, describing the issue as detrimental to maintaining an honorable and truthful military culture. —Amanda Castro, Newsweek, 28 Jan. 2025

The Biden administration implemented the mandate to safeguard troops from the virus and maintain military readiness amid a global pandemic. —Avery Lotz, Axios, 28 Jan. 2025

But the new order goes further by laying out controversial claims that transgender people could be inherently unfit to serve because the process of transitioning to a new gender often involves drugs that could impact readiness. —Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 27 Jan. 2025

But in 2017, Trump announced on what was then Twitter that transgender service members would no longer be able to serve openly in the armed forces, citing concerns over costs and readiness. —Molly Nagle, ABC News, 27 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above