Meaning & use
magnanimous
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Meaning
adjectivecomparableformalapproving
Generous and forgiving in spirit, especially toward an enemy or someone who is weaker.
Grammar: Often followed by in or toward: magnanimous in victory.
Patterns
- magnanimous in victory
- magnanimous to someone
- magnanimous about something
The champion was magnanimous in victory and praised her opponent.
He was magnanimous about the mistake and did not blame the trainee.
A magnanimous host, she forgave the rude guest.
Word forms
| comparative | more magnanimous |
|---|---|
| superlative | most magnanimous |
Common combinations
- magnanimous in victory
- The coach was magnanimous in victory.
- a magnanimous gesture
- Returning the trophy was a magnanimous gesture.
- magnanimous toward a rival
- She was magnanimous toward her rival after the vote.
- magnanimous in defeat
- He was magnanimous in defeat, shaking every hand.
- remarkably magnanimous
- The judge was remarkably magnanimous with the young offender.
Synonyms and how they differ
- generous
- Generous is broad and can refer to money or time, while magnanimous suggests a noble readiness to forgive.
- big-hearted
- Big-hearted is warmer and everyday, whereas magnanimous sounds formal and applies to powerful people.
- gracious
- Gracious focuses on polite, courteous manners, while magnanimous focuses on generosity of spirit.
- forgiving
- Forgiving only describes readiness to pardon, while magnanimous also includes noble generosity.
Opposites
Word family
- magnanimity noun
- the quality of being magnanimous
- magnanimously adverb
- in a generous, forgiving way
- magnify verb
- to make larger, from the same Latin root magnus
Commonly confused: magnanimous or unanimous?
magnanimous vs unanimous
Unanimous means everyone agrees, while magnanimous means generous and forgiving; the endings look alike but the meanings do not.
Practice
After winning the election, the candidate was ___ and invited her opponent to help shape policy.
Choose one answer.
Inviting a defeated rival to help is a generous gesture, so magnanimous fits. Unanimous concerns agreement, vindictive is the opposite, and timid does not suit the act.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “magnanimous”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.