beneficence

American  

[buh-nef-uh-suhns] / bəˈnɛf ə səns /

noun

1. the doing of good; active goodness or kindness; charity.

2. a beneficent act or gift; benefaction.

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beneficence British  

/ bɪˈnɛfɪsəns /

noun

1. the act of doing good; kindness

2. a charitable act or gift

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonbeneficence
  noun

Etymology

Origin of beneficence

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English; French bénéficence, from Latin beneficentia; see benefic, -ence

Explanation

If you show someone kindness or generosity, that's beneficence like when you shovel a neighbor's sidewalk or mow their lawn just to help out, no strings attached. Beneficence comes from the Latin word benefactum, meaning "good deed." That's exactly what beneficence is — helping someone just because you care, not because you want to be praised for being nice. Giving your time, skills, or even a donation of money or items shows beneficence. This word can also describe the character of a person who is helpful, caring, and compassionate.

Example Sentences

Beneficence was at the core of Hodges, and it seeped into his game.

From New York Times • Dec. 24, 2021

In one short verse I here express The sum of tomes of sacred lore: Beneficence is righteousness, Oppression’s sin’s malignant core.

From Book of Wise Sayings Selected Largely from Eastern Sources by Clouston, William Alexander

In the second place, what is the Nature of a Scriptural System of Beneficence?

From The Faithful Steward Or, Systematic Beneficence an Essential of Christian Character by Clark, Sereno D.

He puts it to each one's experience whether, in conceiving Gratitude or Beneficence to be right, one feels a sensation merely, or performs an act of understanding.

From Moral Science; a Compendium of Ethics by Bain, Alexander

Reason becomes a sham, Beneficence a worry: Thou art a grandchild, therefore woe to thee!

From Faust by Taylor, Bayard