benevolent

adjective

be·​nev·​o·​lent bə-ˈne-və-lənt 

-ˈnev-

1

a

: marked by kindness or generosity : disposed to doing good

a benevolent donor

In stark contrast to … gold-hoarding dragons of medieval Europe, Chinese dragons were perceived as benevolent creatures.

—Catherine Duncan

b

: organized for the purpose of doing good

In post-Civil War America, benevolent societies also found a foothold aiding people freed from slavery.

—Ashawnta Jackson

2

: marked by or suggestive of goodwill

benevolent smiles

The sky above was blue, the whole scene lit by a bright benevolent sun …

—Arnold Thomas Fanning

benevolently adverb

benevolentness noun

Did you know?

Benevolent Has a Good History

One who is benevolent genuinely wishes other people well, a meaning reflected clearly in the word's Latin roots: benevolent comes from bene, meaning "good," and velle, meaning "to wish." Other descendants of velle in English include volition, which refers to the power to make one's own choices or decisions, and voluntary, as well as the rare velleity, meaning either "the lowest degree of volition" or "a slight wish or tendency." A more familiar velle descendant stands directly opposed to benevolent: malevolent describes someone or something having or showing a desire to cause harm to another person.

Synonyms of benevolent

• compassionate
• kind
• sympathetic
• humane

Examples of benevolent in a Sentence

Trees that size are like whales, sort of benevolent in their huge bulk … —Sebastian Junger, This Old House, March/April 1998

Grandfather sometimes turned on us like a rigged trap, and of course the benevolent gaze of the sage became the glare of the patriarch. —Darryl Pinckney, High Cotton, 1992

A Southern writer is allowed his eccentricities. The prevailing attitude is a kind of benevolent neglect. —Walker Percy, "Why I Live Where I Live," 1980, in Signposts in a Strange Land,  1991

They tore out the windows of the club's simple storefront and bricked them over and left two much smaller windows … so that the look of the club changed from that of a benevolent neighborhood organization to that of a paramilitary one. —"The Talk of the Town," New Yorker,  26 Feb. 1990

a gift from a benevolent donor

He belonged to several benevolent societies and charitable organizations.

Recent Examples on the Web

Davison's Doctor was a lot more benevolent and was never scared to offer a helping hand, even in life-threatening moments. —Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 23 Nov. 2025

As the first film ends, Elphaba is seen parting ways with Glinda, the benevolent good witch played by Ariana Grande, and the decision to introduce trousers was made as her new environment required her to be more agile. —Kati Chitrakorn, CNN Money, 21 Nov. 2025

Glinda, radicalized by Elphaba’s sacrifice and goodliness, returns to the Emerald City, banishes the bad guys, and becomes a benevolent and righteous dictator for all of Oz. —Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 21 Nov. 2025

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine shattered any remaining illusions of benevolent strongman rule. —Jane Harman, Foreign Affairs, 13 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin benevolent-, benevolens, from bene + volent-, volens, present participle of velle to wish — more at will

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for benevolent

• malevolent
• prevalent

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

Kids Definition

benevolent

adjective

be·​nev·​o·​lent bə-ˈnev(-ə)-lənt 

: having a desire to do good : kindly, charitable

a benevolent organization

benevolently adverb