beneficence

be·nef·i·cence | \ bə-ˈne-fə-sən(t)s

How to pronounce beneficence (audio)

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Definition of beneficence

1 : the quality or state of doing or producing good : the quality or state of being beneficent admired for her beneficence

2 : benefaction bestow your beneficences generously— W. L. Sullivan

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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 for similar reasons: As stone walls emit heat after sundown, the Venetian’s pictures seem to generate light and beneficence from within. — Washington Post, "The drama is in the details," 13 Jan. 2021 The monarchy in Thailand sits atop a cosmic hierarchy that demands order and obedience and offers beneficence. — The Economist, "Banyan Thailand’s absolutist king is on his best behaviour," 12 Dec. 2020 As National Review’s Andrew Stuttaford notes, this vision of wide-ranging corporate beneficence introduces a host of principal-agent problems in ordinary business decision-making. — Alexander William Salter, WSJ, "Profit Keeps Corporate Leaders Honest," 8 Dec. 2020 The beneficence of the cartels is the latest sign of their capacity to challenge and embarrass a Mexican government whose resources have been stretched thin by the crisis. — Fox News, "Mexico's cartels hand out coronavirus aid to try boosting support," 15 May 2020 Having endured a quarantine which shut down his international career, having survived an epidemic that could have cost him his life, van Dyck crafted in Palermo an incarnation of beneficence in chaos. — Jason Farago, New York Times, "The Saint Who Stopped an Epidemic Is on Lockdown at the Met," 26 Mar. 2020 But as the game goes on, the beneficence of your mission becomes increasingly uncertain. — Adrian Chen, New York Times, "Hideo Kojima’s Strange, Unforgettable Video-Game Worlds," 3 Mar. 2020 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

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

20 Jan 2021

Cite this Entry

“Beneficence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beneficence. Accessed 21 Jan. 2021.

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