English Explanatory Dictionary

benevolence

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. Disposition to do good.
  2. Charitable kindness.
  3. An altruistic gift or act.
  4. A kind of forced loan or contribution levied by kings without legal authority, first so called under Edward IV in 1473.

Pronunciation

/bəˈnɛvələns/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-benevolence.wav en-us-benevolence.ogg

Word forms

benevolence benevolences

Etymology

Circa 1400, original sense “good will, disposition to do good”, Old French benivolence from Latin benevolentia (also directly from Latin), literally “good will”, from bene (“well, good”) + volentia, form of volēns, form of volō (“to wish”), components cognate to English benefit and voluntary, more distantly will (via Proto-Indo-European).

Antonyms

malevolence

Derived words

omnibenevolence unbenevolence
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