Welcomeness

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The attribute of being openly received and embraced in a friendly manner
2. The condition that promotes acceptance and joy within social groups
3. The quality of being greeted warmly and accepted with open friendliness

Etymology: "Welcomeness" is a plain compound: the adjective "welcome" with the suffix "-ness," which turns an adjective into a noun for a quality or state. So "welcomeness" names the condition of being welcome, or the warmth with which something is received. The adjective "welcome" itself has an older root in Old English "wilcuma," a guest whose arrival is pleasing, built from "wil" (pleasure, will) and "cuma" (comer). The "-ness" suffix, from Old English "-nes," has been used for centuries to form nouns of quality from almost any adjective, which is why English can produce new forms like this one on demand.

Synonyms: hospitality, reception, friendliness

Antonyms: hostility, unfriendliness