What does alacrity mean?
Alacrity is a noun denoting cheerful readiness and eager willingness to act. When someone responds to a request or seizes an opportunity with alacrity, they do so promptly, energetically, and with visible enthusiasm — not out of obligation but out of genuine eagerness. The word typically appears in formal or literary contexts, most often in the phrase 'with alacrity,' as in 'she accepted the assignment with alacrity.' Its connotations are entirely positive: it suggests liveliness of spirit combined with promptness of action, distinguishing it from mere compliance or dutiful obedience. A person acting with alacrity is not just agreeing to do something but doing so gladly and briskly. Borrowed into English in the early seventeenth century from Latin, the word retains a slightly elevated register that makes it a favorite of essayists, novelists, and anyone wishing to praise another's enthusiastic cooperation. It remains a precise and elegant way to describe willing, spirited responsiveness.
nounCheerful readiness, eagerness, or willingness to act; brisk and lively promptness in responding or doing something.
- Cheerful readiness or eager willingness to do something.
- Brisk, lively promptness in action or response.
"She accepted the invitation to lead the project with alacrity."
"When the manager asked for volunteers to work the weekend shift, Marcus raised his hand with alacrity."
"The young lawyer took on the pro bono case with an alacrity that impressed even her most jaded colleagues."
The plural is rare and largely confined to older or highly literary texts; alacrity is nearly always used as an uncountable noun in modern English.
"The letters reveal the alacrities of a young mind eager for every new experience."
Alacrity comes from the Latin 'alacer,' meaning lively or brisk — the same root that gives us the word's rare cousin 'alacritous,' making it one of the few English words whose entire family tree fits on a single branch.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does alacrity come from?
Alacrity entered English in the early seventeenth century, borrowed from Latin 'alacritas,' meaning liveliness, eagerness, or cheerfulness, which derives from the Latin adjective 'alacer' (brisk, lively). The same Latin root produced the rarer English adjective 'alacritous.' The word has retained its core sense of cheerful promptness throughout its history in English, appearing frequently in the prose of writers such as Samuel Johnson and Charles Dickens.
Related word forms
How alacrity is actually used
Alacrity is a somewhat formal or literary word, more common in written English than everyday speech. It carries a strongly positive connotation, implying not just willingness but a genuine, even cheerful enthusiasm. It is almost always used with the preposition 'with' (with alacrity) rather than as a bare noun subject.
Easily confused with alacrity
Celerity refers simply to swiftness or speed of motion, whereas alacrity emphasizes cheerful eagerness and willing readiness rather than speed itself.