Meaning & use
beneficence
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Meanings
noununcountableformal
Active kindness, shown in generous acts that help other people.
Grammar: Uncountable: acts of beneficence.
Patterns
- beneficence toward someone
The town thanked the donor for her beneficence.
His beneficence funded the new library.
noununcountablemedicalspecialist
In medical ethics, the duty to act for the good of patients.
Grammar: A principle alongside autonomy.
Beneficence is a core principle of medical ethics.
Doctors balance beneficence with respect for patient choice.
Common combinations
- act of beneficence
- Her gift was an act of beneficence.
- principle of beneficence
- The principle of beneficence guides doctors.
- generous beneficence
- The college grew through generous beneficence.
- beneficence and nonmaleficence
- Beneficence and nonmaleficence are paired principles.
Synonyms and how they differ
- benevolence
- Benevolence is the wish to do good, while beneficence is the doing.
- charity
- Charity is more everyday and often means giving money.
- generosity
- Generosity is the common word for freely giving.
Opposites
Word family
- beneficent adjective
- doing good, kindly
- benefactor noun
- a person who gives help or money
- beneficial adjective
- helpful
Commonly confused: beneficence or benevolence?
beneficence vs benevolence
Benevolence is good will as a feeling; beneficence is good done in action.
Practice
The donor's ___ paid for the entire new wing of the hospital.
Choose one answer.
Beneficence here means generous giving in action. Benevolence is close but describes the kind attitude, not the act.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “beneficence”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.