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benevolence

[ buh-nev-uh-luhns ]
/ bəˈnɛv ə ləns /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR benevolence ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

desire to do good to others; goodwill; charitableness: to be filled with benevolence toward one's fellow creatures.
an act of kindness; a charitable gift.
English History. a forced contribution to the sovereign.

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Origin of benevolence

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English word from Latin word benevolentia. See benevolent, -ence

OTHER WORDS FROM benevolence

non·be·nev·o·lence, nounsu·per·be·nev·o·lence, nounun·be·nev·o·lence, noun

Words nearby benevolence

benefit society, benelux, benemid, benempt, benevento, benevolence, benevolent, benevolent and protective order of elks, benevolent sexism, beneš, benfleet
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to benevolence

compassion, generosity, altruism, kindness, gift, friendliness, amity, sympathy, goodness, feeling, friendship, humanity, comity

Example sentences from the Web for benevolence

British Dictionary definitions for benevolence

benevolence
/ (bɪˈnɛvələns) /

noun

inclination or tendency to help or do good to others; charity
an act of kindness
(in the Middle Ages) a forced loan or contribution exacted by English kings from their nobility and subjects
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012