largesse

noun

lar·​gesse lär-ˈzhes How to pronounce largesse (audio) lär-ˈjes How to pronounce largesse (audio)
 also  ˈlär-ˌjes
variants or less commonly largess
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 largesseHarvey Breit

Did you know?

The word largesse, which also can be spelled largess, comes from Anglo-French large, meaning "generous."

Examples of largesse in a Sentence

He relied on the largesse of friends after he lost his job.
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
More than 60% of the growth for September came from the usual suspects — food and drinking establishments, health care, and government — that have all been the beneficiaries of fiscal largesse that has pushed the 2024 budget deficit to the brink of $2 trillion. Jeff Cox, CNBC, 4 Oct. 2024 In the past, European largesse helped to support peace in Northern Ireland, providing regional development and agricultural funds and funding reconciliation efforts. Henry Farrell, Foreign Affairs, 28 June 2016 For much of the Ohio Senate primary, Vance trailed in the polls despite the largesse of Thiel, the explicitly pro-monopoly libertarian who poured $15 million into a super PAC supporting him. Eric Cortellessa, TIME, 26 Sep. 2024 But, as my TPC colleague Howard Gleckman observed, encouraging tips could exacerbate their financial woes, substituting unpredictable largesse for steady wages. Steve Rosenthal, Forbes, 20 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for largesse 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English largesse, from Anglo-French, from large

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of largesse was in the 13th century

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Dictionary Entries Near largesse

Cite this Entry

“Largesse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/largesse. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

largesse

noun
lar·​gesse
variants also largess
1
: generous giving
2
: a generous gift

More from Merriam-Webster on largesse

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