benevolence

noun

be·​nev·​o·​lence bə-ˈne-və-lən(t)s 

-ˈnev-

1

: disposition to do good

a king known for his benevolence

2

a

: an act of kindness

b

: a generous gift

3

: a compulsory contribution or tax levied by certain English kings with no other authority than the claim of prerogative (see prerogative sense 1b)

Did you know?

Part of benevolence comes from the Latin root meaning "wish". The novels of Charles Dickens often include a benevolent figure who rescues the main characters at some point--Mr. Brownlow in Oliver Twist, Abel Magwitch in Great Expectations, Mr. Jarndyce in Bleak House, Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. To be benevolent, it helps to have money, but it's not necessary; kind assistance of a nonfinancial sort may turn out to be lifesaving benevolence as well.

Synonyms

• kindness
• service
• mercy
• privilege
• grace

Examples of benevolence in a Sentence

self-effacing as well as selfless, he refused all public acknowledgement of his many benevolences to the community

her benevolence towards her employees was such that she actually let one live in her home temporarily

Recent Examples on the Web

Flett told me about a graduate student from China who informed him that Confucianism requires perfection on as many as five different points: benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness. —Leslie Jamison, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025

Participants responded to versions of the Portrait Values Questionnaire, created by social psychologist Shalom Schwartz, to assess 10 core human values: universalism, benevolence, conformity, tradition, security, self-direction, stimulation, hedonism, achievement and power. —Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 19 July 2025

Without an economic reason to sustain wildlife populations, they won’t be conserved long-term through benevolence alone. —Chris Dorsey, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025

For a certain stripe of critic, the problem with liberal internationalism isn’t its belligerence but its benevolence. —Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 16 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

see benevolent

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for benevolence

• malevolence
• prevalence
• seroprevalence

Kids Definition

benevolence

noun

be·​nev·​o·​lence bə-ˈnev(-ə)-lən(t)s 

: kindness, generosity