Definition of munificent
1 : very liberal in giving or bestowing (see bestow 4) : lavish munificent donors
2 : characterized by great liberality or generosity a munificent gift
munificently
adverbRead the Latest from M-W
munificent was our Word of the Day on 03/31/2017. Hear the podcast!
Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP
Examples of munificent in a Sentence
a munificent host who has presided over many charitable events at his mansion
Recent Examples of munificent from the Web
-
His many munificent mutterings include: the Shadowy Shades of the Seraphim, the Seven Rings of Raggadorr and — who can forget? — the Hoary Hosts of Hoggoth.
-
This perception reminds us that the Voting Rights Act was not passed as part of an inexorable march toward full citizenship that proceeded from the essentially munificent heart of an exceptional America.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'munificent'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
Munificent was formed back in the late 1500s when English speakers, perhaps inspired by similar words such as "magnificent," altered the ending of "munificence." "Munificence" in turn comes from "munificus," the Latin word for "generous," which itself comes from "munus," a Latin noun that is variously translated as "gift," "duty," or "service." "Munus" has done a fine service to English by giving us other terms related to service or compensation, including "municipal" and "remunerate."
Origin and Etymology of munificent
back-formation from munificence, from Latin munificentia, from munificus generous, from munus service, gift — more at mean
Synonym Discussion of munificent
MUNIFICENT Defined for English Language Learners
Learn More about munificent
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up munificent? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!