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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in friendship
kindly concern, interest, or support
her benevolence towards her employees was such that she actually let one live in her home temporarily
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in tenderness
sympathetic concern for the well-being of others
an actress who was admired for her benevolence as for her beauty
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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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
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
-
For months afterward, kindness arrived in unexpected forms — neighbors bringing food, strangers offering furniture, friends calling daily.—
Jonathan Taplin,
Rolling Stone,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Does their lack of kindness grant you permission to respond with equal insensitivity or even cruelty?—
Michael Isaacson,
Sun Sentinel,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Losing a true partnership and friendship is what was hard.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Meanwhile, their friends are also navigating the ups and downs of love and friendship, confronting the bittersweet challenges of growing up and moving on.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
But anyone willing to consider the thicket of fears, affections and recriminations that grows through the cracks of a long relationship will find in these pages an almost unbearable tenderness.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Let tenderness lead, and safety should grow organically.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In addition to marketing and contract management services, Cureate offers educational courses.—
Cristina LaRue,
Arkansas Online,
9 Nov. 2025
-
An Assumption block and a Notre Dame error tied the score, but Emily Keiran's service error gave the Pandas a 15-14 lead.—
Rich Barak,
Louisville Courier Journal,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Traditional holiday themes of generosity, salvation, and tradition are mostly absent here.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Nov. 2025
-
The home and collection were simply stunning, and her generosity in hosting a private viewing for our Women’s Fund gave us rare, unrushed time with the work.—
News Release,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Nov. 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 decisions and forces that affect society, that dictate the livelihoods and well-being of its citizens, are at the mercy of the market, and the now frighteningly transparent ways that the market serves and benefits its dutiful governmental benefactors.—
Brady Brickner-Wood,
New Yorker,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Local districts bear too much of the financial and administrative burden, leaving students at the mercy of local budgets and priorities.—
Victoria Mejicanos,
Time,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Amsterdam’s cycling union, the Fietsersbond, successfully pushed for these regulations while expanding infrastructure, proving safety and bike-friendliness are not a zero-sum game.—
Sameer Butt,
New York Daily News,
4 Jan. 2026
-
The concierge team, lauded for their friendliness and attention to detail, orchestrates bespoke experiences with finesse.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Benevolence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/benevolence. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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