beneficent

adjective

be·​nef·​i·​cent bə-ˈne-fə-sənt How to pronounce beneficent (audio)
1
: doing or producing good
a beneficent policy
especially : performing acts of kindness and charity
a beneficent leader
2
: beneficial
beneficent bacteria
beneficently adverb

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Plus, a lot of social policies that many Californians consider beneficent and broad-minded that, to put it mildly, others around the country consider much less so. Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 22 June 2025 American capitalists extolling the long-term beneficent effects of their trade should remember the history of U.S. capitalism in Soviet Russia. Reuel Marc Gerecht, Foreign Affairs, 13 July 2016 White male Christian authority could posture as gracious and beneficent as long as it was unquestioned. Rebecca Solnit january 13, Literary Hub, 13 Jan. 2021 The culmination of Roosevelt’s beneficent framing of the canal’s construction came during the spectacular world’s fair, the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, held in 1915 to celebrate the canal’s opening. Julie Greene / Made By History, TIME, 22 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for beneficent

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from beneficence

First Known Use

circa 1616, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of beneficent was circa 1616

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Cite this Entry

“Beneficent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beneficent. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

beneficent

adjective
be·​nef·​i·​cent bə-ˈnef-ə-sənt How to pronounce beneficent (audio)
: doing or producing good
especially : performing acts of kindness or charity
beneficently adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on beneficent

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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