The quality of being goodly; handsomeness, comeliness, or noble appearance considered as a form of leadership or authority.
Archaic formation combining 'goodly' (handsome, dignified) with '-head' suffix (meaning 'state' or 'condition'), following the pattern of Middle English abstract nouns like 'maidenhead.' The compound suggests that goodly appearance was once viewed as a marker of legitimate authority.
This rare word reveals something fascinating: in medieval times, people literally thought handsomeness and leadership went together—your 'goodlihead' made you fit to lead! It's an old form of the beauty-privilege bias we still see today, but at least they named it honestly.
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