benevolence

B2 Topic:Abstract Ideas

US /bəˈnɛvələns/ See IPA manual

Freq #28254

Meanings

1

noun
Kindness and a wish to do good for others.

His acts of benevolence earned him great respect.
2

noun
A kind or generous act.

The villagers never forgot her many benevolences.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · kindness and a wish to do... benefaction

Opposites

malevolence

Word family

Derived forms omnibenevolenceunbenevolence

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 (“to wish”), components cognate to English benefit and voluntary, more distantly will (via Proto-Indo-European).

*welh₁- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Abstract Ideas

External links

# benevolence

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /bəˈnɛvələns/
**Frequency rank:** 28254

## Meanings
1. Kindness and a wish to do good for others.
2. A kind or generous act.

## Examples
- His acts of benevolence earned him great respect.
- The villagers never forgot her many benevolences.

## Antonyms
- malevolence

## Derived Forms
- omnibenevolence
- unbenevolence

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *welh₁-

## 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 (“to wish”), components cognate to English benefit and voluntary, more distantly will (via Proto-Indo-European).

## AI Etymology
Benevolence is 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 (“to wish”), components cognate to English benefit and voluntary, more distantly will (via Proto-Indo-European).

## Topics
- Abstract Ideas

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