benevolent

adjective

be·​nev·​o·​lent bə-ˈnev-lənt How to pronounce benevolent (audio)
-ˈne-və-
1
a
: marked by or disposed to doing good
a benevolent donor
b
: organized for the purpose of doing good
a benevolent society
2
: marked by or suggestive of goodwill
benevolent smiles
benevolently adverb
benevolentness noun

Did you know?

Benevolent Has a Good History

One who is benevolent genuinely wishes other people well, a meaning reflected clearly in the word's Latin roots: benevolent comes from bene, meaning "good," and velle, meaning "to wish." Other descendants of velle in English include volition, which refers to the power to make one's own choices or decisions, and voluntary, as well as the rare velleity, meaning either "the lowest degree of volition" or "a slight wish or tendency." A more familiar velle descendant stands directly opposed to benevolent: malevolent describes someone or something having or showing a desire to cause harm to another person.

Examples of benevolent in a Sentence

Trees that size are like whales, sort of benevolent in their huge bulk … Sebastian Junger, This Old House, March/April 1998
Grandfather sometimes turned on us like a rigged trap, and of course the benevolent gaze of the sage became the glare of the patriarch. Darryl Pinckney, High Cotton, 1992
A Southern writer is allowed his eccentricities. The prevailing attitude is a kind of benevolent neglect. Walker Percy, "Why I Live Where I Live," 1980, in Signposts in a Strange Land1991
They tore out the windows of the club's simple storefront and bricked them over and left two much smaller windows … so that the look of the club changed from that of a benevolent neighborhood organization to that of a paramilitary one. "The Talk of the Town," New Yorker26 Feb. 1990
a gift from a benevolent donor He belonged to several benevolent societies and charitable organizations.
Recent Examples on the Web The vision of Black women in The Help is too similar to the image of Black women throughout the history of Hollywood — maids who are benevolent, warm, and loving towards their oppressors. Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 8 Mar. 2024 In the true story of the Osage Reign of Terror, De Niro plays William Hale, a seemingly benevolent White man who orchestrates the murders of several Indigenous people to steal their oil-rich land in 1920s Oklahoma. Eric Andersson, Peoplemag, 7 Feb. 2024 The Godzilla in this movie is no anti-hero or some benevolent planet protector but rather one big meanie tearing apart town, fleets and people. Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Jan. 2024 In stark contrast to the fire-breathing, gold-hoarding dragons of medieval Europe, Chinese dragons were perceived as benevolent creatures. Catherine Duncan, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Feb. 2024 Initially a vague motif in ancient Chinese art, the dragon is now an emblem of benevolent divinity, imperial power and sweeping unity. Catherine Duncan, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Feb. 2024 No, Trump doesn’t have a benevolent bone in his body. Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 13 Jan. 2024 Active Time: 35 mins Total Time: 4 hrs 15 mins Servings: 8 Beef stew is the benevolent king of all stews. Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 31 Dec. 2023 Dave Sharma was a leg-breaker posing as a benevolent mentor. Patrick Radden Keefe, The New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'benevolent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin benevolent-, benevolens, from bene + volent-, volens, present participle of velle to wish — more at will

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of benevolent was in the 15th century

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Dictionary Entries Near benevolent

Cite this Entry

“Benevolent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/benevolent. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

benevolent

adjective
be·​nev·​o·​lent bə-ˈnev(-ə)-lənt How to pronounce benevolent (audio)
: having a desire to do good : kindly, charitable
a benevolent organization
benevolently adverb

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