1
as in compassionate
having or marked by sympathy and consideration for others
a benevolent willingness to provide veterinary services to low-income families at greatly reduced prices
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in charitable
having or showing a concern for the welfare of others
a benevolent businessman who has donated money and time to helping inner-city youths
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of benevolent
And its acknowledged leader, the United States, was a remarkably benevolent hegemon.
—
Stacie E. Goddard, Foreign Affairs, 28 July 2025
New York’s benevolent liberalism of the Rockefeller years comes off as top-down benevolence, sociological benevolence, experience-free benevolence.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 23 Apr. 2025
Good starters are made up of the unique mix of benevolent dictator (someone has got to keep things moving), a maestro (there are a million different things at play; the starter gets them all to hopefully harmonize) and friend.
—Moira McCarthy, Boston Herald, 10 July 2025
The act was sealed in a pronouncement by Princess Isabel, who became a President Lincoln-like figure in Brazil, known to many as the benevolent white liberator of the enslaved.
—Time, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for benevolent
Stacie E. Goddard, Foreign Affairs, 28 July 2025
New York’s benevolent liberalism of the Rockefeller years comes off as top-down benevolence, sociological benevolence, experience-free benevolence.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 23 Apr. 2025
Good starters are made up of the unique mix of benevolent dictator (someone has got to keep things moving), a maestro (there are a million different things at play; the starter gets them all to hopefully harmonize) and friend.
—Moira McCarthy, Boston Herald, 10 July 2025
The act was sealed in a pronouncement by Princess Isabel, who became a President Lincoln-like figure in Brazil, known to many as the benevolent white liberator of the enslaved.
—Time, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for benevolent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for benevolent
Adjective
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Safe, compassionate care is always our top priority.—
Cara Lynn Shultz,
People.com,
14 Aug. 2025
-
The drama, which had its world premiere as a special gala at the Berlin international film festival in February, stars September 5 and Teacher’s Lounge actress Leonie Benesch as Floria, a compassionate nurse whose hectic late shift turns into a race against time amid chronic staff shortages.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The investigation went public in July after federal prosecutors empaneled a grand jury and issued subpoenas to several nonprofits and the Department of Economic and Community Development, the principal state conduit for delivering taxpayer money to charitable organizations.—
Edmund H. Mahony,
Hartford Courant,
17 Aug. 2025
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Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust’s portfolio.—
Kevin Stankiewicz,
CNBC,
17 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Asked about Trump's relationship with her and with Epstein, Maxwell said Trump was always kind and cordial with her.—
Aysha Bagchi,
USA Today,
24 Aug. 2025
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Sweet, feisty, kind, smart, sensitive and spiritual.—
Natalia Senanayake,
People.com,
21 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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And the event is completely philanthropic with millions raised so far for Virgin Unite, the National Tennis Foundation, and other impactful charities.—
Laurie Werner,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
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The Morning Pointe Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Morning Pointe Senior Living founded by senior health care entrepreneurs Greg A. Vital and Franklin Farrow.—
Gabrielle Chenault,
The Tennessean,
2 July 2025
Adjective
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Even for Southern Baptists who aren’t sympathetic toward Hunt and Sills, the legal costs to fight those cases have led to an overall diminished appetite for implementing and funding certain reform.—
Liam Adams,
The Tennessean,
21 Aug. 2025
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Maggie Carney is a comic delight as Elizabeth, the household’s sympathetic but highly disciplined head housekeeper.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The man who brought in Lazlo, along with another feline, told the humane society the cats lived in a hotel with him.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Aug. 2025
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While humane in principle, this approach has been challenging to implement effectively on a national scale.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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IndyStar's environmental reporting project is made possible through the generous support of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.—
Karl Schneider,
IndyStar,
21 Aug. 2025
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Less a diner than a throwback 1940s soda shop, the lunch-dinner joint plays Great American Songbook oldies and serves marinated skirt steak, fork-tender baby back ribs and meatloaf in mushroom gravy with generous mounds of mashed potatoes.—
Phillip Valys,
Sun Sentinel,
20 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Benevolent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/benevolent. Accessed 31 Aug. 2025.
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