The quality or state of being binding; the characteristic of creating a legal or moral obligation that must be followed.
From 'binding' (adjective) + '-ness' (suffix creating abstract nouns). The word builds on the concept of 'binding' to name the abstract quality itself—similar to how 'happiness' comes from 'happy.'
The bindingness of a promise is what makes human civilization possible—we can trust each other because we've collectively agreed that some statements create binding obligations. A handshake used to have such bindingness that you didn't need written contracts, but legal culture has shifted toward documentation.
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