benevolence
Americannoun
-
desire to do good to others; goodwill; charitableness.
to be filled with benevolence toward one's fellow creatures.
- Antonyms:
- malevolence
-
an act of kindness; a charitable gift.
She bequeathed many benevolences from her vast fortune.
-
English History. a forced contribution to the sovereign.
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
Other Word Forms
- nonbenevolence noun
- superbenevolence noun
- unbenevolence noun
Etymology
Origin of benevolence
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin benevolentia; benevolent, -ence
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
This is not to say that “Wicked” was some noble emblem of blockbuster benevolence.
From Salon
It analyzes the forces of corruption and moral probity, capitalism and benevolence—all the rich contradictions and absurdities of the world glimpsed in Jane Austen’s novels.
It’s a kind of moral laundering, where so-called benevolence masks self-interest.
There was a degree of benevolence in that ring.
From BBC
However, Prof Bellitto pointed out that Militiades was not responsible for this change, saying the Pope was the "recipient of the Roman benevolence" rather than being a great negotiator.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
