benevolence

Valid in Scrabble

Scrabble points
18
Words With Friends
24
Letters
11
Pronunciation
/bəˈnɛvələns/

Definition of benevolence

4 senses · 1 part of speech · etymology included

noun

  1. (uncountable)Disposition to do good.
    “gesture of benevolence”
    “show benevolence”
    “spirit of benevolence”
    “She smiled with benevolence at the children.”
    “Benevolence? vvhich ſhall I be benevolent to; or vvhich firſt? I am puſſell'd in the choice.”
See all 4 definitions

noun

  1. (uncountable)Disposition to do good.
    “gesture of benevolence”
    “show benevolence”
    “spirit of benevolence”
    “She smiled with benevolence at the children.”
    “Benevolence? vvhich ſhall I be benevolent to; or vvhich firſt? I am puſſell'd in the choice.”
  2. (uncountable)Charitable kindness.
    “His acts of benevolence earned him great respect.”
  3. (countable)An altruistic gift or act.
  4. (UK, countable, historical, uncountable)A kind of forced loan or contribution levied by kings without legal authority, first so called under Edward IV in 1473.

Definitions from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.

Etymology

Circa 1400, original sense “good will, disposition to do good”, Old French benivolence from Latin benevolentia (also directly from Latin), literally “good will”, from bene (“well, good”) + volentia, form of volēns, form of volō (“to wish”), components cognate to English benefit and voluntary, more distantly will (via Proto-Indo-European).

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