magnanimous
Americanadjective
-
generous in forgiving an insult or injury; free from petty resentfulness or vindictiveness.
to be magnanimous toward one's enemies.
- Synonyms:
- kindly, charitable, big
-
high-minded; noble.
a just and magnanimous ruler.
-
proceeding from or revealing generosity or nobility of mind, character, etc..
a magnanimous gesture of forgiveness.
adjective
Related Words
See noble.
Other Word Forms
- magnanimously adverb
- magnanimousness noun
- unmagnanimous adjective
- unmagnanimously adverb
- unmagnanimousness noun
Etymology
Origin of magnanimous
First recorded in 1540–60; from Latin magnanimus “great-souled,” equivalent to magn(us) “great” + anim(us) “spirit, soul, mind” + -us adjective suffix; magn-, -ous
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.
“However, I am a most magnanimous prince and agree to help you on your quest until I can safely get back home,” the jackalope said.
From Literature
The answer is evasive but also magnanimous, as befits Mr. Youngkin’s personality.
Readers who pick the more proper—or magnanimous—paths are in no way guaranteed to page their way toward happier endings.
But speaking to the cameras afterwards, Ross was magnanimous in accepting his defeat.
From BBC
When wealth becomes a substitute for participation, giving is reduced to performance art—proof of virtue, a way to appear magnanimous while still demanding ownership.
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.
