[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

earnestness \ear"nestness\, n.
   the state or quality of being earnest; intentness; anxiety.
   1913 webster

         an honest earnestness in the young man's manner. --w.
                                                  irving.
   1913 webster

[2] : WordNet (r) 2.0

earnestness
     n 1: an earnest and sincere feeling syn: seriousness, sincerity
     2: the trait of being serious; "a lack of solemnity is not
        necessarily a lack of seriousness"- robert rice syn: seriousness,
         serious-mindedness, sincerity ant: frivolity
see also:
seriousness sincerity serious-mindedness frivolity 

[3] : Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

106 moby thesaurus words for "earnestness":
   abandon, absorption, advertence, advertency, alertness, ardency,
   ardor, assiduity, assiduousness, attention, attention span,
   attentiveness, awareness, care, commitment, committedness,
   concentration, consciousness, consideration, decidedness, decision,
   decisiveness, decorousness, dedication, definiteness, deliberation,
   demureness, determinateness, determination, determinedness,
   devotedness, devotion, devoutness, diligence, doggedness, ear,
   earnest, engrossment, faith, faithfulness, fervency, fervidness,
   fervor, fidelity, fire, firmness, formality, gravity, grimness,
   heartiness, heat, heatedness, heed, heedfulness, impassionedness,
   intensity, intentiveness, intentness, long face, loyalty,
   mindfulness, note, notice, observance, observation, obstinacy,
   passion, passionateness, perseverance, persistence, purpose,
   purposefulness, regard, regardfulness, relentlessness, remark,
   resoluteness, resolution, resolve, resolvedness, respect,
   sedateness, self-will, seriousness, sincerity, single-mindedness,
   sober-mindedness, soberness, sobersidedness, sobersides, sobriety,
   solemnity, solemnness, somberness, spirit, staidness,
   straight face, tenacity, thought, thoughtfulness, total commitment,
   vehemence, warmth, weightiness, will, zeal

Earnestness >> E Words
Earnestness, definition of term: Earnestness
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