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

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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.
The music is worshipped, but elsewhere there is an undercurrent of lawlessness and benevolent revolution. Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025 This domino effect is the unintended benevolent effect of the one individual acting in their own self interest. Hessie Jones, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2025 Vocal powerhouse Janine LaManna steals several scenes with her dual performances as the witchy Lady Catherine and benevolent Madame Restell. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2025 Additionally, the researchers found that globally, benevolent acts were 10% more frequent in 2024 than in 2017-2019. Nicole Brown Chau, CBS News, 19 Mar. 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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Cite this Entry

“Benevolent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/benevolent. Accessed 20 Apr. 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

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