benevolence

B3E1N1E1V4O1L1E1N1C3E1
/bəˈnɛvələns/

noun

Disposition to do good.

“show benevolence”

Similar
benefaction
Opposite
malevolence
OriginOld French benivolence ← Latin benevolentia →
Less commonScrabble 18
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Meanings

nounbenevolence (countable and uncountable, plural benevolences)

plural benevolences

  1. uncountableDisposition to do good.

    show benevolence

    4 more examples

    gesture of benevolence

    spirit of benevolence

    She smiled with benevolence at the children.

    Benevolence? vvhich ſhall I be benevolent to; or vvhich firſt? I am puſſell'd in the choice.

    1641 or 1642 (first performance), Richard Brome, A Joviall Crew: Or, The Merry Beggars. Presented in a Comedie, […], London: […] J[ames] Y[oung] for E[dward] D[od] and N[athaniel] E[kins] […], published 1652, →OCLC, Act III, signature [H4], recto
  2. uncountableCharitable kindness.

    His acts of benevolence earned him great respect.

  3. countableAn altruistic gift or act.
  4. UKcountablehistoricaluncountableA kind of forced loan or contribution levied by kings without legal authority, first so called under Edward IV in 1473.

Synonyms & antonyms

Opposite
malevolence

noundisposition to do good

Opposite
malevolence
Broader
love

nounan act intending or showing kindness and good will

Similar
benefaction
Broader
kindnessbenignity
Also see
benefactionbeneficencegoodwilllargesse

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinbenevolentia
  2. Old Frenchbenivolence
  3. Englishbenevolence

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).

More words from Old French, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek φιλανθρωπία
  • φιλανθρωπία (philanthrōpía)disposition to do good
Arabic النزعَة إلى الخير
  • النزعَة إلى الخيرdisposition to do good
Bulgarian доброжелателност
  • доброжелателност (dobroželatelnost)disposition to do good
Catalan benevolència
  • benevolènciadisposition to do good
Chinese Mandarin 仁慈, 仁
  • 仁慈 (réncí)disposition to do good
  • 仁 (rén)disposition to do good
  • 慈悲 (cíbēi)disposition to do good
Danish velvilje
  • velviljedisposition to do good
Dutch welwillendheid, goede wil
  • welwillendheiddisposition to do good
  • goede wildisposition to do good
  • gulheiddisposition to do good
Finnish hyväntahtoisuus, anteliaisuus
  • hyväntahtoisuusdisposition to do good
  • anteliaisuuscharitable kindness
French bienveillance, bénévolence
  • bienveillancedisposition to do good
  • bénévolencedisposition to do good
German Gutmütigkeit, Mildherzigkeit
  • Gutmütigkeitdisposition to do good
  • Mildherzigkeitdisposition to do good
Greek καλοσύνη, αγαθοεργία
  • καλοσύνη (kalosýni)disposition to do good
  • αγαθοεργία (agathoergía)charitable kindness
Hindi हितैषिता, हितेच्छा
  • हितैषिता (hitaiṣitā)disposition to do good
  • हितेच्छा (hitecchā)disposition to do good
Hungarian jóindulat, jótékonyság
  • jóindulatdisposition to do good
  • jótékonyságcharitable kindness
Icelandic örlæti
  • örlætidisposition to do good
Irish dea-mhéin
  • dea-mhéindisposition to do good
Japanese 仁, 慈悲
  • 仁 (jin)disposition to do good
  • 慈悲 (jihi)disposition to do good
Latin benevolentia
  • benevolentiadisposition to do good
Polish benewolencja, łaskawość
  • benewolencjadisposition to do good
  • łaskawośćdisposition to do good
  • przychylnośćdisposition to do good
  • życzliwośćdisposition to do good
  • dobroćdisposition to do good
Portuguese benevolência
  • benevolênciadisposition to do good
Romanian bunăvoință
  • bunăvoințădisposition to do good
Russian благожела́тельность, доброжела́тельность
  • благожела́тельность (blagoželátelʹnostʹ)disposition to do good
  • доброжела́тельность (dobroželátelʹnostʹ)disposition to do good
  • доброта́ (dobrotá)disposition to do good
  • ми́лость (mílostʹ)disposition to do good
Spanish benevolencia
  • benevolenciadisposition to do good
Swedish välvilja
  • välviljadisposition to do good
Turkish hayırseverlik, yardımseverlik
  • hayırseverlikdisposition to do good
  • yardımseverlikdisposition to do good
  • iyilikseverlikdisposition to do good
  • esirgemezlikdisposition to do good
  • himmetdisposition to do good
Ukrainian доброзичли́вість, зичли́вість
  • доброзичли́вість (dobrozyčlývistʹ)disposition to do good
  • зичли́вість (zyčlývistʹ)disposition to do good
Cite this entry
APA

benevolence. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/benevolence

MLA

“benevolence.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/benevolence. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “benevolence,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/benevolence.

Source: benevolence on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.