beneficent

adjective

be·nef·i·cent | \ bə-ˈne-fə-sənt

How to pronounce beneficent (audio)

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Definition of beneficent

1 : doing or producing good a beneficent policy especially : performing acts of kindness and charity a beneficent leader

2 : beneficial beneficent bacteria

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Examples of beneficent in a Sentence

a humane and beneficent policy a beneficent couple who are regular volunteers at a homeless shelter

Recent Examples on the Web

Illustration: Crystal Tai The hardening U.S. rhetoric comes as China has pulled out all stops in Papua New Guinea to cast itself as the beneficent power that can help take the impoverished host nation on the path to prosperity. — Rachel Pannett, WSJ, "U.S., China Clash Over Trade, Security at Pacific Summit," 17 Nov. 2018 Having beneficent Jupiter and elusive Neptune as your co-ruling planets hints at your innate angelic, but spacey qualities. — Ashley Otero, Teen Vogue, "Who You Should Date, Based on Your Horoscope," 20 Aug. 2018 What, besides a desire to warm up his image, moved Rumsfeld to tell the story of Gerald Ford’s beneficent 895 days? — Evan Thomas, New York Times, "Gerald Ford, President Nice Guy," 26 June 2018 That narrative, that America’s drug economy represents a complicated but beneficent market system at work, is so ingrained it is usually stated as fact, even in the media. — Alexander Zaitchik, The New Republic, "How Big Pharma Was Captured by the One Percent," 28 June 2018 More tantalizing is a pie-in-the-sky idea: whether a beneficent billionaire, like Michael R. Bloomberg, could buy the company and either try to transform it or shut it down — a sort of philanthropic euthanasia in the name of gun control. — Andrew Ross Sorkin, New York Times, "Please, Please Buy This Gun Company," 14 May 2018 Bible study probably is the most beneficent for Reggie. — Rebecca Farley, refinery29.com, "Dear White People Season 2 Binge Club: Episodes 1 - 3 Recaps," 4 May 2018 Ohio 'not beneficent toward black people' Lynchings took many forms. — Mark Curnutte, Cincinnati.com, "Lynched in Oxford: Descendant tries to reconcile official, family histories of 1892 killing," 30 Apr. 2018 Many see Sheikh Amoudi less as a beneficent local son than a Saudi privateer. — Danny Hakim And Ben Hubbard, New York Times, "He Owns Much of Ethiopia. The Saudis Won’t Say Where They’re Hiding Him.," 16 Mar. 2018

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

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Dictionary Entries near beneficent

beneficial improvement

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Time Traveler for beneficent

The first known use of beneficent was circa 1616

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More Definitions for beneficent

beneficent

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of beneficent

formal : doing or producing good

See the full definition for beneficent in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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