benevolent

adjective

be·​nev·​o·​lent bə-ˈnev--ˈne-və-lənt How to pronounce benevolent (audio)
-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.

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Centuries ago, the seemingly benevolent alien race Oankali intervened in humanity's fateful hours, saving the remaining survivors and putting them in a deep sleep aboard their spaceship. Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2025 The June Foray Award for significant and benevolent impact was given to the non-profit organization Women in Animation for its work advocating for gender equality and inclusion in the industry. Terry Flores, Variety, 9 Feb. 2025 At the heart of his own clairvoyance and mediumship was an understanding that God was benevolent — too good to ever create something so awful as hell or eternal damnation. Elizabeth Garner Masarik / Made By History, TIME, 16 Oct. 2024 But what seems like a benevolent act smells a lot like a transparent bribe to purchase more U.S. defense investment. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 30 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for benevolent 

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 22 Feb. 2025.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on benevolent

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