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
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Our small kindnesses to each other.—
Julia Hass,
Literary Hub,
30 Sep. 2025
-
The most vulnerable among us deserve the most respect, most compassion, and most kindness.—
Kate Plummer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In public, Mark Kerr speaks amiably about his trainer turned rival and even takes him along for a rowdy impromptu meet-and-greet, but the lack of friction comes off less as a sign of his unflappability than of Safdie’s indifference to probing a friendship beyond buddy-comedy depth.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
30 Sep. 2025
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Along the way, the women learn that while romance may come and go, female friendship is the love story that lasts a lifetime.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Her voice—soulful, unshaken, and still capable of wrapping you in both tenderness and fire—wove through classics and new arrangements, honoring her artistry while making space for fresh interpretations.—
Larry Stansbury,
Essence,
29 Sep. 2025
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Full of warmth, tenderness, and poetic brilliance, this 2025 Sundance Festival Favorite Award winner is a heartbreaking yet life-affirming celebration of creativity, partnership, and the enduring power of words to light the darkest times.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
28 Sep. 2025
Noun
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As Rogers’ rocky form will testify, Villa’s attacking struggles have not been through a lack of service, but rather the profligacy in possession.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
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Suburban communities, including Wauwatosa, Brookfield and New Berlin, have considered a wheel tax to raise revenue for city services.—
Vanessa Swales,
jsonline.com,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
There’s such generosity in the book.—
Hanif Abdurraqib,
New Yorker,
3 Oct. 2025
-
In an inspiring act of kindness and generosity, tournament angler Tripp Berlinsky turned the biggest win of his college fishing career into an opportunity to give back.—
Dac Collins,
Outdoor Life,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
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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
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But their beneficence has spoken volumes about their values.—
Julie Belcove,
Robb Report,
27 July 2025
Noun
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And, Ben carried out his instructions with precision and without mercy.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Oct. 2025
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Notre Dame is at the mercy of the committee no matter what.—
David Ubben,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Feklistov explained that the kid-friendliness of the resort tends to be on a case-by-case basis, depending on each family’s priorities and goals.—
Kathryn Romeyn,
Travel + Leisure,
28 Sep. 2025
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Known for their high energy density, low cost, and environmental friendliness due to zinc’s abundance, zinc–air batteries are gaining increasing attention.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Benevolence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/benevolence. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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