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benevolent

adjective
be·​nev·​o·​lent | \ bÉ™-ˈnev-lÉ™nt How to pronounce benevolent (audio) , -ˈne-vÉ™-\

Definition of benevolent

1a : 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
Other Words from benevolent Synonyms & Antonyms Benevolent Has a Good History More Example Sentences Learn More about benevolent

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Other Words from benevolent

benevolently adverb
benevolentness noun

Benevolent Has a Good History

Someone who is "benevolent" genuinely wishes other people well, which is not surprising if you know the word's history. "Benevolent" can be traced back to Latin bene, meaning "good," and velle, meaning "to wish." Other descendants of "velle" in English include "volition" ("the act or power of making one's choices or decisions"), "voluntary," and the rare word velleity (meaning either "the lowest degree of volition" or "a slight wish or tendency"). There is also one more familiar "velle" descendant - "malevolent," the antonym of "benevolent," a word describing one who is disposed to doing ill instead of good.

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 Land,  1991 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 Yorker,  26 Feb. 1990 a gift from a benevolent donor He belonged to several benevolent societies and charitable organizations.
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Recent Examples on the Web

 In the large majority of cases, countries led by autocrats—whether benevolent or otherwise—were found to have worse economic outcomes in terms of growth than democracies. — Annalisa Merelli, Quartz, "150 years of data proves it: Strongmen are bad for the economy," 19 Aug. 2019 Women are, of course, no more innately ethical or benevolent than men are, and yet there’s something grimly perplexing about women who seem to help men subjugate other women. — Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, "When Women Are Accused of Complicity," 17 Aug. 2019 But the death of an artist is different from the loss of political leaders, no matter how wise or benevolent, or the larger passing of a generation, which has continued since the beginning of time. — Philip Kennicott, chicagotribune.com, "Obituaries are the only redemptive news anymore," 8 Aug. 2019 And Crosby’s wife, Jan, is also a benevolent, adoring on-camera presence, who practically goes into mourning when the singer, in his mid-70s, heads out on one more tour to pay the bills. — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, "No Stills, no Nash, no Young — but a lot of Crosby," 31 July 2019 The most compelling scene of the film is when a benevolent old man encounters the pair and gives them shelter, even inviting Billy to sit at the table with him, his wife, and Clare. — Garrett Mitchell, azcentral, "'The Nightingale' is a disturbingly brutal meditation on revenge from 'Babadook' filmmaker," 21 Aug. 2019 Warriors guard Stephen Curry found a fresh, benevolent outlet for his abundant passion for golf. — Ron Kroichick, SFChronicle.com, "Warriors’ Stephen Curry funds new golf programs at Howard University," 19 Aug. 2019 Things will look up even more in the first half of November, when helpful people and benevolent influences may give both your spirits and your wallet a boost. — Tribune Content Agency, oregonlive.com, "Horoscope for Aug. 19, 2019: Sagittarius, place trust in those who earn it; Aquarius, offer support, good judgement," 19 Aug. 2019 Several described Mr Sanders as a sort of benevolent guru. — The Economist, "Bernie Sanders’s permanent revolution," 15 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'benevolent.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of benevolent

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

History and Etymology for benevolent

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

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More Definitions for benevolent

benevolent

adjective
How to pronounce benevolent (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of benevolent

: kind and generous
: organized to do good things for other people

See the full definition for benevolent in the English Language Learners Dictionary

benevolent

adjective
be·​nev·​o·​lent | \ bÉ™-ˈne-vÉ™-lÉ™nt How to pronounce benevolent (audio) \

Kids Definition of benevolent

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