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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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
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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of benevolence
Combs pays her rent and her legal fees, another onlooker said, something that the jury could interpret as a show of benevolence or remorse.
—
Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 3 July 2025
Bayes published only two papers in his lifetime: one a defense of God’s benevolence, the other a defense of Newton’s calculus.
—Siddhartha Mukherjee, New Yorker, 16 June 2025
Coercing democratic allies such as Canada or Denmark more broadly weakens trust in U.S. alliances; threatening Panama reawakens fears of imperialism throughout Latin America; crippling the U.S. Agency for International Development undercuts the United States’ reputation for benevolence.
—Robert O. Keohane, Foreign Affairs, 2 June 2025
Byrne, a former publisher of Variety and veteran New York media insider, credited his long career to the benevolence shown him by executives at the New York Daily News.
—William Earl, Variety, 25 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for benevolence
Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 3 July 2025
Bayes published only two papers in his lifetime: one a defense of God’s benevolence, the other a defense of Newton’s calculus.
—Siddhartha Mukherjee, New Yorker, 16 June 2025
Coercing democratic allies such as Canada or Denmark more broadly weakens trust in U.S. alliances; threatening Panama reawakens fears of imperialism throughout Latin America; crippling the U.S. Agency for International Development undercuts the United States’ reputation for benevolence.
—Robert O. Keohane, Foreign Affairs, 2 June 2025
Byrne, a former publisher of Variety and veteran New York media insider, credited his long career to the benevolence shown him by executives at the New York Daily News.
—William Earl, Variety, 25 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for benevolence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for benevolence
Noun
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These companies show that kindness and innovation go hand in hand.—
Nav Thethi,
Forbes.com,
12 Aug. 2025
-
While the internet isn't necessarily known for its joy and kindness, Wylie has been blown away by the response since sharing the video on TikTok.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Also, the female-heavy production team added a keen sense of understanding of female friendships and family relationships, which brought truth to the outlandish premise.—
Katie Grant,
Parents,
7 Aug. 2025
-
Selena Gomez and Taylor Swift both dated Jonas Brothers at the same time, but the real love story was the two women’s friendship that emerged from those romances.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
7 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Both sobering and dreamlike, with moments of genuine tenderness, her film bears witness to cycles of trauma and creates a devastating indictment of historical patriarchal abuse.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
5 Aug. 2025
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But there’s a tenderness to him, too, which comes through later, when it’s revealed that Luke’s a single dad with a sensitive side.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
31 July 2025
Noun
-
Detroit could see a high of 91 on Aug. 9, which will feel like 93 degrees, the weather service said.—
Sarah Moore,
Freep.com,
9 Aug. 2025
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Two Milwaukee men have been charged in connection to the shooting of an auto shop owner following an argument about service.—
Drake Bentley,
jsonline.com,
9 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Throughout the documentary, this film captures the essence of simplicity in the game, the joy of generosity, and the common thread of loving soccer.—
Jackie Gutierrez,
Forbes.com,
5 Aug. 2025
-
Your capacity for empathy and generosity seems limited to Jan. 6.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
4 Aug. 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
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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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In other words, a school district could be at the mercy of a single extreme individual.—
Peter Greene,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
-
Turning the contours of Maryland’s eight congressional districts over to the whims of state legislators in Alabama, Idaho or Utah is putting the sanctity of the votes cast by hard-working Marylanders at the mercy of politicians no registered voter in Maryland has ever heard of.—
Kevin Igoe,
Baltimore Sun,
11 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The Expat Insider survey cites cost of living and friendliness as a few reasons why.—
Road Trips,
AFAR Media,
6 Aug. 2025
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While vacation towns can range in dog friendliness, Asbury Park on the Jersey Shore stands out for its hyper-dog-friendly accomodations, activities, restaurants and more.—
Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner,
Forbes.com,
5 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Benevolence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/benevolence. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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