benevolence
See also: bénévolence
English
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 (“I wish”), components cognate to English benefit and voluntary, more distantly will (via Proto-Indo-European).[1]
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /bəˈnɛvələns/
Audio (Southern England) (file) Audio (Mid-Atlantic) (file)
Noun
benevolence (countable and uncountable, plural benevolences)
- (uncountable) Disposition to do good.
- (uncountable) Charitable kindness.
- (countable) An altruistic gift or act.
- (UK, historical) A kind of forced loan or contribution levied by kings without legal authority, first so called under Edward IV in 1473.
Antonyms
Derived terms
Related terms
English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *welh₁- (0 c, 15 e)
Translations
disposition to do good
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charitable kindness
|
altruistic gift or act
References
- Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “benevolence”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
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