benevolence
Americannoun
-
desire to do good to others; goodwill; charitableness.
to be filled with benevolence toward one's fellow creatures.
- Antonyms:
- malevolence
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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
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(in the Middle Ages) a forced loan or contribution exacted by English kings from their nobility and subjects
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of benevolence
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin benevolentia; see origin at benevolent, -ence
Explanation
Benevolence is an act of kindness or an inclination to be kind. It's the quality of someone who volunteers in a soup kitchen, tutors children for free, and helps old ladies cross the street. Helping your grandmother with her groceries is an act of benevolence — as long as she doesn’t pay you a dollar per bag. Letting your little sister have the last helping of ice cream shows benevolence. Benevolence is any kind act, but it can also describe the desire to do nice things. When you’re feeling selfish, you probably won’t show benevolence, but if benevolence comes through in spite of your crankiness, then you know you’re really a good person.
Vocabulary lists containing benevolence
Take the Bad with the Good: Bene and Mal
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Giving Words
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Between the World and Me
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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.
Benevolence is located in a rural area, about an hour's drive northwest of Raleigh.
From Salon • Oct. 18, 2021
Benevolence and Betrayal: Five Italian Families Under Fascism by Alexander Stille Stille takes us into another dangerous time in Italy: the 1930s and 40s.
From The Guardian • Jul. 8, 2020
Price: ~$23 Benevolence LA Bitmap Textile Coasters Spruce up your place with these retro coasters, featuring a bitmap design from Susan Kare, the designer who created the iconic original Macintosh icons.
From The Verge • Apr. 30, 2019
Benevolence Three separate stories of relationships, set in different decades, interconnect in Hamid Janguard’s new drama.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 7, 2018
"Benevolence" cannot be seen on the outside of the brain.
From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman
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.
