benevolent
Americanadjective
-
characterized by or expressing goodwill or kindly feelings.
a benevolent attitude; her benevolent smile.
-
desiring to help others; charitable.
gifts from several benevolent alumni.
- Synonyms:
- altruistic, philanthropic, benign, liberal, generous, humane, kind, good
-
intended for benefits rather than profit.
a benevolent institution.
adjective
-
intending or showing goodwill; kindly; friendly
a benevolent smile
a benevolent old man
-
doing good or giving aid to others, rather than making profit; charitable
a benevolent organization
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of benevolent
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Latin benevolent-, stem of benevolēns “kindhearted, well-wishing,” from bene- bene- + volēns “willing, wishing” (present participle of velle “to want, wish”); cf. voluntary
Explanation
Choose the adjective benevolent for someone who does good deeds or shows goodwill. If your teacher collects homework with a benevolent smile, she's hoping that you've done a good job. Benevolent comes from the Latin bene, "well," and volent, from a verb meaning "to wish." A benevolent society is a charity group organized to serve a community through programs, sponsorships, and donations. The expression "benevolent dictatorship" may seem like an oxymoron, but it is a political term for an authoritative government that (supposedly) works for the good of the people under its rule.
Vocabulary lists containing benevolent
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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.
Leung Chun-ying, who led the city between 2012 and 2017, described him as a "benevolent" leader who "won people over with reason".
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
Any singular superintelligence would have to prioritize some values over others and in the process would be incapable of being benevolent to everyone.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
With Jeff Bridges as the horse’s benevolent owner and Tobey Maguire as a battered jockey.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026
With this intimate, painful epiphany, the show’s larger parable about obligingly submitting to ahistorical ignorance is blunted with a spiritually benevolent ideal.
From Salon ● Jun. 18, 2026
The brown blotches of the benevolent skin cancer the sun brings from its reflection on the tropic sea were on his cheeks.
From "The Old Man and The Sea" by Ernest Hemingway
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
