largesse

English
WOTD – 12 May 2023

Etymology

From Middle English larges, largess, largesse [and other forms],[1] from Anglo-Norman largece, largesce, Middle French largece, largesce, largesse, and Old French largesce (“breadth, width; request for a monetary gift; (act of) generous giving; (chiefly in the plural) generous gift; generosity, liberality”) (in Anglo-Norman also “liberty; privilege”; modern French largesse),[2] from large (“big, large; generous; wide”) (from Latin largus (“abundant, plentiful; large; bountiful, liberal”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *lai- (“fat, grease, lard”) or *las- (“to be willing; covetous; eager”)) + -esce (suffix forming nouns).

Pronunciation
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /lɑːˈ(d)ʒɛs/
  • (General American) IPA(key): /lɑɹˈ(d)ʒɛs/
  • Audio (GA)(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɛs
  • Hyphenation: larg‧esse

Noun

largesse (plural largesses)

  1. (uncountable)
    1. The trait of being willing to donate money, resources, or time; generosity, liberality.
      Synonyms: benevolence, munificence
      Antonyms: miserliness, niggardliness, stinginess, tightfistedness
      • 1549 February 10 (Gregorian calendar; indicated as 1548), Erasmus, “The Paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the Fyrst Epistle of S. Paule The Apostle to Timothee. Chapter IIII.”, in Nicolas Udall [i.e., Nicholas Udall], transl., The First Tome or Volume of the Paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the Newe Testamente, London: […] Edwarde Whitchurche, →OCLC, folio xii, recto:
        There is no creature impure or vncleane, yf the conſcience of hym that vſeth it be pure and cleane. And albeit there were any impuritie in the meate, yet with himnes wherwith the larges of god is prayſed before meate and with holy wordes and prayers it ſhoulde be made holy and pure, that before was vncleane.
      • 1666 January 4 (Gregorian calendar); first published 1698, Robert South, “Jesus of Nazareth Proved the True, and Onely Promised Messiah. In a Sermon Preached at St Mary’s, Oxon. before the University, on Christmas-Day, 1665.”, in Twelve Sermons upon Several Subjects and Occasions, volume III, London: […] Tho[mas] Warren for Thomas Bennet […], →OCLC, page 378:
        But vvhere the Plea of the Receivers is equal, and yet the Diſpenſation of the Benefits vaſtly unequal, there Men are taught that the thing received is Grace; and that they have no claim to it, but the courteſy of the Diſpenſer, and the largeſs of Heaven; vvhich cannot be queſtion'd, […]
      • 1873, John Ruskin, “Franchise”, in Val d’Arno: Ten Lectures on the Tuscan Art Directly Antecedent to the Florentine Year of Victories. […], London: George Allen, […], published 1890, →OCLC, page 165:
        But the dynasty of the Gothic king is in equity and compassion, and his arithmetic is in largesse.
      • 2020 February 11, Norimitsu Onishi, “A pedophile writer is on trial. So are the French elites.”, in The New York Times‎, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2023-03-30:
        He [Gabriel Matzneff] was invited to the Élysée Palace by President François Mitterrand and socialized with the far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen. He benefited from the largess of the fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent and his partner, the business tycoon Pierre Bergé.
    2. Often preceded by do, give, or make: the generous or liberal giving of gifts or money, especially by someone of high standing on a special occasion; also, excessive or wasteful giving.
    3. Money, etc., given in this way.
    4. (figuratively) Abundance of something (chiefly beneficial), regarded as having been given generously.
      Synonym: bounty
      • 1785, William Cowper, “The Needless Alarm. A Tale.”, in Poems […], London: […] [F]or J[oseph] Johnson, […] by T[homas] Bensley, […], published 1806, →OCLC, page 570:
        The man to ſolitude accuſtomed long, / Perceives in every thing that lives a tongue; / […] / After long drought, vvhen rains abundant fall, / He hears the herbs and flovvers rejoicing all: / Knovvs vvhat the freſhneſs of their hue implies, / Hovv glad they catch the largeſs of the skies; […]
      • 1832 December (indicated as 1833), Alfred Tennyson, “To ——”, in Poems, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, stanza I, page 2:
        I have not lacked thy mild reproof, / Nor golden largess of thy praise, / But life is full of weary days.
    5. (obsolete) Chiefly in the form at one's largesse: freedom or liberty to act.
      • 1594, John Huarte [i.e., Juan Huarte de San Juan], “By what Meanes It may be Shewed, to what Difference of Abilitie the Art of Warfare Appertaineth, and by what Signes the Man may be Knowen, who is Endowed with this Maner of Wit”, in Richard Carew, transl., Examen de Ingenios. The Examination of Mens Wits. […], London: […] Adam Jslip, for Richard Watkins, →OCLC, page 225:
        This captaine then falling in companie vvith a knot of Caualieros, and diſcourſing of the largeſſe & liberty, vvhich ſouldiers enjoy in Italie, in a certaine demand, vvhich one of them made him, he gaue him the you becauſe he vvas native of that place, and the ſonne of meane parents, born in a village of ſome fevv houſes: […]
        In Rocío G. Sumillera, editor (2014), The Examination of Men’s Wits (MHRA Tudor & Stuart Translations; 17), London: Modern Humanities Research Association, →ISBN, footnote 153, page 247, the editor writes: “[…] ‘The you’ in Carew’s text translates the Spanish vos, used to address inferiors in rank, and therefore fairly disrespectful at the time.”
  2. (countable)
    1. An act of donating or giving generously.
      • 1655, Thomas Stanley, “[Socrates.]”, in The History of Philosophy. […], volume I, London: […] Humphrey Moseley, and Thomas Dring, […], →OCLC, 3rd part (Containing the Socratick Philosophers), Socrates His Epistles, epist[le] VI, page 63:
        So theſe loſing the true glory of virtue vvhich every one ought to have, flie to that vvhich depends upon complaiſance vvith others, courting vulgar applauſe vvith Largeſſes and feaſts.
    2. (also figuratively) A specific gift of money, etc., given in this way, specifically (historical) at harvest time; a donation, a gratuity.
      • 1580, Thomas Tusser, “Augusts Husbandrie”, in Fiue Hundred Pointes of Good Husbandrie: […], London: […] Henrie Denham [beeing the assigne of William Seres] […], →OCLC; republished as W[illiam] Payne and Sidney J[ohn Hervon] Herrtage, editors, Five Hundred Pointes of Good Husbandrie. […], London: Published for the English Dialect Society by Trübner & Co., […], 1878, →OCLC, stanza 9, page 129:
        Giue gloues to thy reapers, a larges to crie, / And dailie to loiterers haue a good eie.
        A reference to the historical practice of crying out (chiefly to a person of high standing on a special occasion) for a gift of money.
      • 1611, Thomas Heywood, “The Golden Age: Or The Liues of Jupiter and Saturne, with the Deifying of the Heathen Gods. […]”, in The Dramatic Works of Thomas Heywood […], volume III, London: John Pearson […], published 1874, →OCLC, Act III, page 52:
        Then to our Pallace / Paſſe on in ſtate, let all raryeties / Showre downe from heauen a lardges, that theſe bridals / May exceede mortall pompe.
      • 1659, T[itus] Livius [i.e., Livy], “[Book XXIV]”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Romane Historie […], London: […] W. Hunt, for George Sawbridge, […], →OCLC, page 422:
        [T]here vvas good hope that the ſouldiers ſhould have a largeſs dealt amongſt them out of the Kings Treaſure, and be under the command of Captains of better quality, […]
      • 1725, [Daniel Defoe], “Part I”, in A New Voyage Round the World, by a Course Never Sailed before. […], London: […] A[rthur] Bettesworth, […]; and W. Mears, […], →OCLC, page 187:
        […] I vvould give them three Days, provided, they vvere vvilling to give the Men a Largeſs, as I had done, in Proportion to their Gain.
      • 1808 February 22, Walter Scott, “Canto First. The Castle.”, in Marmion; a Tale of Flodden Field, Edinburgh: […] J[ames] Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Company, […]; London: William Miller, and John Murray, →OCLC, stanza XIV, pages 32–33:
        And he, their courtesy to requite, / Gave them a chain of twelve marks weight, / All as he lighted down. / "Now largesse, largesse, Lord Marmion, / Knight of the crest of gold! / A blazon'd shield, in battle won, / Ne'er guarded heart so bold."— […]
        Footnote a at the word largesse: “The cry by which the heralds expressed their thanks for the bounty of the nobles.”

Alternative forms

Translations
(uncountable) abundance of something (chiefly beneficial) — see abundance

References
  1. “lā̆rǧes(se, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
  2. “largesse, n.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, March 2023; “largesse, n.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

Further reading

Anagrams

French

Etymology

From Old French largesce, corresponding to large +‎ -esse.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /laʁ.ʒɛs/
  • Rhymes: -ɛs
  • Audio(file)

Noun

largesse f (plural largesses)

  1. largess; financial generosity

Further reading

Anagrams
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