Gereed

Gereed is a Dutch adjective meaning ready or prepared. It is used both predicatively and attributively, typically after forms of zijn (to be) or worden (to become): for example, De reiziger is gereed, en De materialen zijn gereed voor verzending. In many contexts it implies that preparations are complete and the thing referred to is ready to perform its next function. In everyday speech it can be interchangeable with klaar, though gereed often carries a more formal, technical, or official nuance.

Gereed appears in verb and noun formations as well. The verb gereedmaken means to prepare or to get ready, with the past participle gereedgemaakt. The noun gereedheid denotes readiness or preparedness, while gereedstelling or gereedmaking refer to the act of preparing or arranging. In manuals, instructions, logistics, and event planning, gereed is commonly used to describe the status of equipment, personnel, or plans as ready for use or execution.

Etymology: Gereed is a historic Dutch word formed with the prefix ge- and linked to West Germanic roots meaning ready. The development traces back to Old Dutch and related Germanic languages, sharing cognates with similar forms in Dutch and Afrikaans. The exact historical lineage is part of the broader evolution of adjectives formed with ge- in Dutch, rather than a single isolated source.

See also: Klaar; Gereedheid; Gereedstelling; Gereedschap; Gereedschap (Dutch for tools) and the Afrikaans cognate Gereedskap for related terms.