beneficent
adjective
be·nef·i·cent
bə-ˈne-fə-sənt 
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
But in Las Vegas, where spectacle-over-substance is kind of the whole point, the Wizard was a beneficent showman.
—
Bethy Squires, Vulture, 30 Aug. 2025
Far away from the old, broken planet, a libertarian utopia will flourish, under the beneficent sway of the Elon.
—Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 28 July 2025
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
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
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.
Bethy Squires, Vulture, 30 Aug. 2025
Far away from the old, broken planet, a libertarian utopia will flourish, under the beneficent sway of the Elon.
—Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 28 July 2025
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
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
Cite this Entry
“Beneficent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beneficent. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
beneficent
adjective
be·nef·i·cent
bə-ˈnef-ə-sənt
: doing or producing good
especially
: performing acts of kindness or charity
beneficently
adverb
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share