benevolent

B2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /bəˈnɛvələnt/ See IPA manual

Freq #17328

Meanings

1

adj
Kind and wanting to help others.

She was a benevolent woman who gave generously to charity.
2

adj
Set up to help people in need, rather than to make money.

He left his fortune to a benevolent society for orphans.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · kind and wanting to help... beneficent charitable

2 adj · set up to help people in... freehearted

Opposites

malevolent

Word family

Forms benevolently

Derived forms benevolentlybenevolentnessecobenevolentnonbenevolentomnibenevolentpseudobenevolentsemibenevolentsuperbenevolentultrabenevolentunbenevolent

Related forms benefactor beneficent well-wisher

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

benevolent society
an organized group that provides charitable help to people in need

Adjective + noun

Simplified etymology

Benevolent entered English through Old French from Latin bene volent-, meaning “wishing well.”

Etymology

From Old French benevolent, borrowed from Latin benevolēns ("benevolent"). Displaced native Old English welwillende (literally well-wishing).

*welh₁- Proto-Indo-European benevolēns Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# benevolent

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /bəˈnɛvələnt/
**Frequency rank:** 17328

## Meanings
1. Kind and wanting to help others.
2. Set up to help people in need, rather than to make money.

## Examples
- She was a benevolent woman who gave generously to charity.
- He left his fortune to a benevolent society for orphans.

## Antonyms
- malevolent

## Derived Forms
- benevolently
- benevolentness
- ecobenevolent
- nonbenevolent
- omnibenevolent
- pseudobenevolent
- semibenevolent
- superbenevolent
- ultrabenevolent
- unbenevolent

## Related Forms
- benefactor
- beneficent
- well-wisher

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *welh₁-
- Root: benevolēns
- Affix: bene- - good

## Etymology
From Old French benevolent, borrowed from Latin benevolēns ("benevolent"). Displaced native Old English welwillende (literally well-wishing).

## AI Etymology
Benevolent comes from Old French benevolent, borrowed from Latin benevolēns ("benevolent"). Displaced native Old English welwillende (literally well-wishing).

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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