Meaning & use
benevolence
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Meanings
noununcountableformal
A kind and generous attitude that makes a person want to help others.
Grammar: Uncountable: act with benevolence, not a benevolence.
Patterns
- act with benevolence
- benevolence toward someone
The principal treated the new students with great benevolence.
Her benevolence toward the poor was well known.
The king's benevolence was praised in every village.
nouncountableold-fashionedformal
An act of kindness, a gift or a charitable deed.
Grammar: Countable and old-fashioned: the benevolences of the rich.
Patterns
- a benevolence from someone
The school was built from the benevolence of a local merchant.
He thanked the family for their many benevolences.
The charity lived on the benevolences of its members.
Word forms
| plural | benevolences |
|---|
Common combinations
- act of benevolence
- Paying for the stranger's meal was an act of benevolence.
- show benevolence
- The judge showed benevolence to the young offender.
- out of benevolence
- He gave the money out of simple benevolence.
- genuine benevolence
- There was genuine benevolence in her smile.
- benevolence toward
- His benevolence toward his workers earned loyalty.
Synonyms and how they differ
- kindness
- Kindness is the everyday word for caring behavior, whereas benevolence is more formal and suggests a general wish to do good.
- generosity
- Generosity is about freely giving money or time, while benevolence is about goodwill in general.
- charity
- Charity usually means giving help to people in need, and it can also mean an organization, which benevolence cannot.
- goodwill
- Goodwill is a friendly attitude toward others, and it is a softer, more everyday word than benevolence.
Opposites
Word family
- benevolent adjective
- kind and wanting to help others
- benevolently adverb
- in a kind and helpful way
- benefactor noun
- a person who gives help or money
- malevolence noun
- a wish to harm others
Commonly confused: benevolence or beneficence? benevolence or benign?
benevolence vs beneficence
Beneficence is the actual doing of good, while benevolence is the kind wish behind it.
benevolence vs benign
Benign means harmless or gentle, but it does not carry the active wish to help that benevolence has.
Practice
The millionaire's ______ was clear when he paid for the whole town's new library.
Choose one answer.
Paying for a library shows a wish to do good, which is benevolence; arrogance, indifference and suspicion do not fit.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “benevolence”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.