1
as in kindness
an act of kind assistance self-effacing as well as selfless, he refused all public acknowledgement of his many benevolences to the community

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of benevolence More than $2,300 was reported as benevolence. Katie Nixon, The Tennessean, 5 Aug. 2025 Flett told me about a graduate student from China who informed him that Confucianism requires perfection on as many as five different points: benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness. Leslie Jamison, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025 Participants responded to versions of the Portrait Values Questionnaire, created by social psychologist Shalom Schwartz, to assess 10 core human values: universalism, benevolence, conformity, tradition, security, self-direction, stimulation, hedonism, achievement and power. Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 19 July 2025 Without an economic reason to sustain wildlife populations, they won’t be conserved long-term through benevolence alone. Chris Dorsey, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for benevolence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for benevolence
Noun
  • But thanks to a free tool called Love Lost and the kindness of a good neighbor, Louie is back home safe and sound.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 7 Oct. 2025
  • For her kindness and friendship, for her humour and irrepressible enthusiasm, for her curiosity, for her courage, and for her profound love of animals.
    Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • After a successful night in coverage — and given his friendship with Morrison — Stevenson was convinced that the final pass wasn’t coming his way.
    Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Fortunately, the film found an adoring audience that connected with its depiction of bisexuality, its wry post-9/11 humor, and its themes of female friendship.
    Samantha Allen, Them., 7 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • In her books, anything that smacks of compassion or tenderness deserves, at best, strategic suspicion.
    Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Other than a couple moments of tenderness between Tommy and his fiancée, there are no scenes in the first book that challenge our negative perception of Tommy.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • If trapped by moving water, seek the highest possible point and contact emergency services by calling 911.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 13 Oct. 2025
  • Consider Gatlin’s relationship with Jones, the Atlanta businessman who technically was not a Foundation vendor because his company, American Sound Design (ASD), did not provide any services to the Foundation or Jackson Health System.
    Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Until then, the museum had relied largely on the generosity of wealthy patrons donating the contents of their wardrobe.
    Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 11 Oct. 2025
  • Thank you for your kindness, your generosity, your talent, and above all, your laughter.
    Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Worse, five sisters have tried to save its life, defying both the mysterious beneficence that brought the fish to shore and local norms dictating that it must be killed for food.
    Talya Zax, The Atlantic, 10 Aug. 2025
  • But their beneficence has spoken volumes about their values.
    Julie Belcove, Robb Report, 27 July 2025
Noun
  • The adolescent protagonist soon finds himself at the mercy of his imperious uncle, who puts his nephew out on the street for missing a midnight curfew, of which poor Karl was quite unaware.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2025
  • Combs begs for mercy Combs addressed the court before Judge Subramanian imposed his sentence, pleading for a second chance.
    Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • According to PetMD, a cat’s tail shaped like a question mark—standing upright with a curved tip—is typically a sign of friendliness and curiosity, not hostility.
    Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 2025
  • For any sportsman living in the Eastern half of the nation, one of the great things about a hunt in the West, in my opinion, is the chance to sample the matchless friendliness and hospital ity of the people there.
    Robert Merchant, Outdoor Life, 1 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Benevolence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/benevolence. Accessed 13 Oct. 2025.

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