benevolent

adjective

be·​nev·​o·​lent bə-ˈnev--ˈne-və-lənt 

-ˈnev-

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.

Synonyms

• beneficent
• benignant
• compassionate
• good-hearted
• humane
• kind
• kindhearted
• kindly
• softhearted
• sympathetic
• tender
• tenderhearted
• warmhearted

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.

Recent Examples on the Web

Indeed, megalomaniac philanthropy is benevolent narcissism at its best. —Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024

Relatedly, the authors’ assertion that France, Germany, and the United Kingdom will consent to a united foreign policy direction defies logic: great-power peace in Europe is due to an overwhelming Pax Americana, not because its countries have suddenly become benevolent. —Sumantra Maitra, Foreign Affairs, 4 Nov. 2024

And in the last decade or so, after Cohan sold to Joe Lacob and the Warriors leaped to a whole new level, Al was the franchise’s benevolent father figure. —Tim Kawakami, The Athletic, 22 Aug. 2024

Celebrate Thanksgiving with every benevolent instinct of the human heart. —Armstrong Williams, Baltimore Sun, 24 Nov. 2024

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

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Kids Definition

benevolent

adjective

be·​nev·​o·​lent bə-ˈnev(-ə)-lənt 

: having a desire to do good : kindly, charitable

a benevolent organization

benevolently adverb