Definition of BENEFICENCE

Examples of beneficence in a Sentence

the town library stays open primarily through beneficences from concerned residents a religious leader whose beneficence is felt by all who meet him

Recent Examples on the Web And in his best paintings, those lozenges of light have the beneficence of the lines of miraculous words that, in early Renaissance depictions of the Annunciation, stream from the mouth of the Angel Gabriel toward the Virgin Mary. — Washington Post, "This Edward Hopper exhibition on hotels is worth an extended stay," 28 Nov. 2019 Unfortunately, however, today’s social services are run more on the model of charity—invoked via a far less democratic and accountable social ideal of liberal beneficence—than radical solidarity. — Astra Taylor, The New Republic, "One for All," 26 Aug. 2019 But even with these human enhancements, the Maya remained at the mercy of nature’s beneficence. — Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, "The Lost World of the Maya is Finally Emerging From the Jungle," 7 Feb. 2019 Ultimately, Lydgate succumbs to the jealousy of his rivals and to the perfidy of his patron, while the widowed Dorothea must sacrifice the goal of beneficence for the sake of finding happiness with a new husband. — Leslie Lenkowsky, WSJ, "Five Best: Leslie Lenkowsky on Novels About Philanthropy," 7 Dec. 2018 What Facebook saw as beneficence, Indians saw as neocolonialism. — Christopher Mims, WSJ, "The Global Tech Backlash Is Just Beginning," 25 Oct. 2018 Etsy One of the marvels of the modern day gift market is the way that its journals, magnets, and coffee mugs swing wildly between smiling beneficence and saucy declarations of misanthropy. — Eliza Brooke, Vox, "We buy each other gifts with misanthropic slogans to forge a common bond," 9 Nov. 2018 But his faith in his country’s beneficence remains undimmed. — Jennifer Szalai, New York Times, "In ‘The Restless Wave,’ John McCain Says America Is Still Exceptional," 16 May 2018 Rarely noted is the longstanding Israeli beneficence toward Palestinians, when not under attack. — WSJ, "Younger Evangelicals on Israel and Palestine," 11 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'beneficence.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

24 Dec 2019

Cite this Entry

“Beneficence.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beneficence. Accessed 23 January 2020.