munificence 1 of 2

munificent

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adjective

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective munificent contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of munificent are bountiful, generous, and liberal. While all these words mean "giving or given freely and unstintingly," munificent suggests a scale of giving appropriate to lords or princes.

a munificent foundation grant

When can bountiful be used instead of munificent?

The meanings of bountiful and munificent largely overlap; however, bountiful suggests lavish, unremitting giving or providing.

children spoiled by bountiful presents

When is it sensible to use generous instead of munificent?

Although the words generous and munificent have much in common, generous stresses warmhearted readiness to give more than size or importance of the gift.

a generous offer of help

In what contexts can liberal take the place of munificent?

The words liberal and munificent are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, liberal suggests openhandedness in the giver and largeness in the thing or amount given.

a teacher liberal with her praise

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 munificence
Adjective
Swift danced her way through 149 sets in 22 countries and thanked her crew with munificent bonuses totaling $197 million. Bryan West, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2025 The white middle class absconded to the suburbs in droves, seriously depleting a once munificent tax base. Evan Kindley, The New Republic, 1 Aug. 2023 Testing these munificent vehicles took us not only to DaimlerChrysler's proving grounds but also to our beloved collection of paved curves, whoop-de-dos, and foot-to-the-floor straightaways in southeastern Ohio's Hocking Hills. Don Schroeder, Car and Driver, 3 Jan. 2023 It’s become popular—even knee-jerk—to write off the difficulty businesses face finding workers as people staying at home, probably sitting around in their underwear, enjoying the munificent benefits unemployment brings. Erik Sherman, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2021 Carla had no plausible explanation as to why Gianni should have been so munificent. Cullen Murphy, The Atlantic, 7 Nov. 2022 But even these munificent gifts were dwarfed by other contributions, often from unknown donors. Katherine Stewart, The New Republic, 11 July 2022 More significantly, Rolling Stone wrote a critical piece about country singer Morgan Wallen, reminiscent of Washington Post reporter David Fahrenthold’s Pulitzer-winning investigations of Donald Trump’s claims of his munificent charitable donations. Washington Post, 17 Oct. 2021 Like many startups, print-on-demand companies tend to coat themselves in munificent techno-marketing clichés. Roger Sollenberger, Wired, 16 Mar. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for munificence
Noun
  • Your laughter, your spirit, generosity, humor, cheekiness, courage and loyalty is an incredible gift to me.
    Raechal Shewfelt, EW.com, 28 May 2025
  • What Thornton is striving toward, an embrace of generosity, of humanity being able to change what faith and religion even mean, is often moving.
    Ella Kemp, IndieWire, 23 May 2025
Adjective
  • The cockpit can be fitted with a solar Starlight Bimini providing generous shade.
    Kathleen Turner, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
  • Similarly, the Department of Justice has pulled back from policing financial crimes, including those involving cryptocurrency, whose kingpins were among Trump’s most generous donors.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 27 May 2025
Noun
  • In addition to her passion for making tasteful and affordable accessories, Scott has a heart for philanthropy.
    Samantha Stutsman, People.com, 27 May 2025
  • The key revenue sources are driven by ticket sales, television, sponsorship and philanthropy.
    Eric Jackson, Sportico.com, 25 May 2025
Adjective
  • This includes reviewing charitable structures and preparing for legislative shifts.
    Matthew F. Erskine, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
  • Read more: Can Trump strip Harvard of its charitable status?
    Corey Mitchell, The Conversation, 23 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Munificence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/munificence. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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