# goodness

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈɡʊdnəs/ · frequency rank #5,795

## Definitions
1. The state or characteristic of being good.
2. The good, nutritional, healthy part or content of something.
3. God.
4. The moral qualities which constitute Christian excellence; moral virtue.

## Etymology
From Middle English goodnesse, godnesse, from Old English gōdnes (“goodness; virtue; kindness”), from Proto-West Germanic *gōdnassī (“goodness”), equivalent to good + -ness. Cognate with Scots guidness (“goodness”), West Frisian goedens (“goodness”), Old High German guotnessī (“goodness”), Middle High German guotnisse (“goodness”), Russian годность (godnostʹ, “suitability, fitness”).

## Easily confused with
- **goddess** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/goddess-vs-goodness)
- **godless** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/godless-vs-goodness)

## Common misspellings (10)
`ggoodness`, `godness`, `godoness`, `gooddness`, `goodenss`, `goodnes`, `goodnness`, `goodnses`, `goondess`, `ogodness`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/goodness