largesse

noun lar·gesse \ lär-ˈzhes , lär-ˈjes also ˈlär-ˌjes \

variants: or less commonly largess

Updated on: 14 Apr 2018

Definition of largesse

1 : liberal giving (as of money) to or as if to an inferior

a philanthropist known for his largesse

; also : something so given

projects depending on a flow of federal largesse

2 : generosity

his generosity of spirit, an absolutely natural largesse
—Harvey Breit

See largesse defined for English-language learners

See largesse defined for kids

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Examples of largesse in a Sentence

He relied on the largesse of friends after he lost his job.

Recent Examples of largesse from the Web

Not all of the sparklers at Dolce & Gabbana’s incredible Alta Gioielleria fete at the New York Public Library last night—the kick-off of four days of not-stop fashion, fun, and largesse—encircled wrists and necks.

— laird borrelli-persson, Vogue, "See the Exquisite, One-of-a-Kind Jewels from Dolce & Gabbana’s Latest Alta Gioielleria Collection Here," 7 Apr. 2018
Some critics add that Trump has other means at his disposal to tackle Amazon's largesse, including directing the Justice Department to beef up antitrust enforcement action or pushing Congress to amend federal law governing online sales taxes.

— jeff stein, chicagotribune.com, "If Trump really wants to go after Amazon, he has options," 5 Apr. 2018
Chinese airlines are also now making the most of their location, and the largesse of the state, to offer connections to destinations beyond their home market.

— The Economist, "Chinese carriers are the new disrupters in air travel," 5 Apr. 2018
The shooter, 39-year-old Nasim Aghdam, apparently had easy access to a courtyard where employees ate lunch al fresco, enjoying the largesse of tech-job perks amidst the mild, Bay Area spring.

— ian bogost, The Atlantic, "Silicon Valley 'Has No Words'," 4 Apr. 2018
Their largesse—cigars, champagne and the like—allegedly came to 1 million shekels, or about $288,000.

— gregg carlstrom, Newsweek, "The Fall of Benjamin Netanyahu and the Future of Israel," 15 Mar. 2018
Those amounts are dwarfed by the largesse of other major contributors.

— alexander burns, The Seattle Times, "NRA’s clout is in power to mobilize supporters," 24 Feb. 2018
In the weeks since the shooting, Parkland students have mobilized in support of gun control measures, taking on the powerful National Rifle Association and calling out lawmakers who benefit from its largesse.

— annysa johnson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Wisconsin students take part in National School Walkout against gun violence," 14 Mar. 2018
This was all mostly thanks to the largesse of 29-year-old Othman Lazraq (the son of hotel developer Alami Lazraq, of Groupe Alliances), who serves as MACAAL’s president and upon whose family art collection the museum is based.

— alessandra codinha, Vogue, "MACAAL and Othman Lazraq Draw an International Art Crowd in Marrakech," 13 Mar. 2018

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

Did You Know?

The word largesse, which also can be spelled "largess" (as in our second example sentence), has been part of the English language since at least the 13th century. It derives via Anglo-French from the Latin word largus, meaning "abundant" or "generous." "Largus" is also the source of our word large. As far back as the 14th century, we used the word largeness as a synonym of "largesse" ("liberal giving"). In fact, that may have been the first sense of "largeness," which has since come to refer to physical magnitude and bulk more often than to magnanimity.