Meanings
adjectivebenevolent (comparative more benevolent, superlative most benevolent)
comparative more benevolent · superlative most benevolent
- Having a disposition to do good.
Chinese and Eastern mythologies describe dragons as benevolent.
1 more example
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 - Possessing or manifesting love for mankind.
- Altruistic, charitable, good, just and fair.
This bill was not a gift from a benevolent legislature; it was a victory for the community which worked for its passage.
1989 December 24, Kevin M. Cathcart, “Homophobia Never Innocent”, in Gay Community News, volume 17, number 24, page 5
Synonyms & antonyms
Opposite
adjectiveshowing or motivated by sympathy and understanding and generosity
adjectivegenerous in providing aid to others
Similar
adjectivegenerous in assistance to the poor
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinbenevolēns
- Old Frenchbenevolent
- Englishbenevolent
From Old French benevolent, borrowed from Latin benevolēns ("benevolent"). Displaced native Old English welwillende (literally well-wishing).
More words from Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic خَيِّر
- خَيِّر (ḵayyir)having a disposition to do good
Bulgarian доброжела́телен, благоскло́нен
- доброжела́телен (dobroželátelen)having a disposition to do good
- благоскло́нен (blagosklónen)having a disposition to do good
- добронаме́рен (dobronaméren)having a disposition to do good
- благоразполо́жен (blagorazpolóžen)having a disposition to do good
- човеколюби́в (čovekoljubív)possessing or manifesting love for mankind
- ще́дър (štédăr)altruistic or charitable
- милости́в (milostív)altruistic or charitable
Catalan benèvol, benèfic
- benèvolhaving a disposition to do good
- benèficaltruistic or charitable
Chinese Mandarin 仁慈, 慈善
- 仁慈 (réncí)having a disposition to do good
- 慈善 (císhàn)having a disposition to do good
- 善良 (shànliáng)having a disposition to do good
Danish velvillig
- velvillighaving a disposition to do good
Dutch welwillend, goedaardig
- welwillendhaving a disposition to do good
- goedaardighaving a disposition to do good
- liefdadigpossessing or manifesting love for mankind
- altruïstischaltruistic or charitable
Esperanto bonfara
- bonfaraaltruistic or charitable
Finnish hyvänsuopa, hyväntahtoinen
- hyvänsuopahaving a disposition to do good
- hyväntahtoinenhaving a disposition to do good
- hyvänsuopainenhaving a disposition to do good
- altruistinenpossessing or manifesting love for mankind
- ihmisrakaspossessing or manifesting love for mankind
- altruistinenaltruistic or charitable
French bienveillant
- bienveillanthaving a disposition to do good
German wohlwollend, mildherzig
- wohlwollendhaving a disposition to do good
- mildherzighaving a disposition to do good
- gütighaving a disposition to do good
- altruistischpossessing or manifesting love for mankind
- menschenfreundlichpossessing or manifesting love for mankind
- mildherzigpossessing or manifesting love for mankind
- gütigpossessing or manifesting love for mankind
- altruistischaltruistic or charitable
- wohlwollendaltruistic or charitable
- wohltätgaltruistic or charitable
- gütigaltruistic or charitable
- mildtätigaltruistic or charitable
Greek καλοήθης
- καλοήθης (kaloḯthis)having a disposition to do good
Japanese 優しい
- 優しい (yasashii)having a disposition to do good
Korean 자애롭다, 상냥하다
- 자애롭다 (jaaeropda)having a disposition to do good
- 상냥하다 (sangnyanghada)having a disposition to do good
- 자애로운 (jaaeroun)possessing or manifesting love for mankind
Latin benevolens
- benevolenshaving a disposition to do good
Māori ngākau aroha, ngākau aroha
- ngākau arohahaving a disposition to do good
- ngākau arohapossessing or manifesting love for mankind
- ngākau arohaaltruistic or charitable
Norwegian menneskekjærlig
- menneskekjærligpossessing or manifesting love for mankind
Norwegian Bokmål velvillig, velmenende
- velvillighaving a disposition to do good
- velmenendehaving a disposition to do good
Persian نیککامه, خیرخواه
- نیککامه (nikkâme)having a disposition to do good
- خیرخواه (xeyrxâh)having a disposition to do good
Portuguese benevolente
- benevolentehaving a disposition to do good
Romanian binevoitor
- binevoitorhaving a disposition to do good
Russian благожела́тельный, доброжела́тельный
- благожела́тельный (blagoželátelʹnyj)having a disposition to do good
- доброжела́тельный (dobroželátelʹnyj)having a disposition to do good
- благоскло́нный (blagosklónnyj)having a disposition to do good
- до́брый (dóbryj)having a disposition to do good
- ми́лостивый (mílostivyj)having a disposition to do good
- благоду́шный (blagodúšnyj)possessing or manifesting love for mankind
- филантропи́ческий (filantropíčeskij)possessing or manifesting love for mankind
- человеколюби́вый (čelovekoljubívyj)possessing or manifesting love for mankind
- благотвори́тельный (blagotvorítelʹnyj)altruistic or charitable
- ми́лостивый (mílostivyj)altruistic or charitable
- благоскло́нный (blagosklónnyj)altruistic or charitable
- великоду́шный (velikodúšnyj)altruistic or charitable
Spanish benevolente, benévolo
- benevolentehaving a disposition to do good
- benévolohaving a disposition to do good
Swedish välvillig
- välvillighaving a disposition to do good
Thai หวังดี, หวังดี
- หวังดี (wǎng-dii)having a disposition to do good
- หวังดี (wǎng-dii)possessing or manifesting love for mankind
Turkish hayırsever, iyiliksever
- hayırseverhaving a disposition to do good
- iyilikseverhaving a disposition to do good
- diğerkâmpossessing or manifesting love for mankind
- fedakârpossessing or manifesting love for mankind
- özgecipossessing or manifesting love for mankind
- özgecilpossessing or manifesting love for mankind
- altruistikaltruistic or charitable
- fedakâraltruistic or charitable
Ukrainian доброзичли́вий, зичли́вий
- доброзичли́вий (dobrozyčlývyj)having a disposition to do good
- зичли́вий (zyčlývyj)having a disposition to do good
Cite this entry
APA
benevolent. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/benevolent
MLA
“benevolent.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/benevolent. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “benevolent,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/benevolent.
Source: benevolent on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.