Meanings
munificence1
plural munificences
- uncountableusuallyThe quality of being munificent; generosity.
And surely, no form of munificence should entitle to a more grateful and lasting remembrance, than that which promotes the right education of youth;...
1845, Lydia Sigourney, Scenes in my Native Land, The Great Oak of Geneseo, pages 86–871 more example
Now the happy king laid the forehead of thankſgiving upon the duſt of gratitude; he opened the doors of his wealth to the four winds, and enriched the world, at once, with his munificence.
1769, Firishta, translated by Alexander Dow, Tales translated from the Persian of Inatulla of Delhi, volume I, Dublin: P. and W. Wilson et al., page 3
munificence2
- obsoleteMeans of defence; fortification.
Untill that Locrine for his Realmes defence, Did head against them make and strong munificence
1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto X”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC
Synonyms & antonyms
nounliberality in bestowing gifts; extremely liberal and generous of spirit
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
munificence · noun
- Latinmunificentia
- Middle Frenchmunificence
- Englishmunificence
From Middle French munificence, from Latin munificentia, from munus (“gift”) + facio (“to make”).
More words from Middle French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek μεγαλοπρέπεια
- μεγαλοπρέπεια (megaloprépeia)the quality of being munificent; generosity
Arabic سَخَاء, كَرَم
- سَخَاء (saḵāʔ)the quality of being munificent; generosity
- كَرَم (karam)the quality of being munificent; generosity
Bulgarian щедрост
- щедрост (štedrost)the quality of being munificent; generosity
Catalan munificència
- munificènciathe quality of being munificent; generosity
Czech štědrost
- štědrostthe quality of being munificent; generosity
Dutch gulheid, vrijgevigheid
- gulheidthe quality of being munificent; generosity
- vrijgevigheidthe quality of being munificent; generosity
- goedgeefsheidthe quality of being munificent; generosity
- generositeitthe quality of being munificent; generosity
- munificentiethe quality of being munificent; generosity
Finnish anteliaisuus, avokätisyys
- anteliaisuusthe quality of being munificent; generosity
- avokätisyysthe quality of being munificent; generosity
French générosité, munificence
- générositéthe quality of being munificent; generosity
- munificencethe quality of being munificent; generosity
German Freigebigkeit, Großzügigkeit
- Freigebigkeitthe quality of being munificent; generosity
- Großzügigkeitthe quality of being munificent; generosity
Irish mórmhaitheas, flaithiúlacht
- mórmhaitheasthe quality of being munificent; generosity
- flaithiúlachtthe quality of being munificent; generosity
Polish szczodrość, hojność
- szczodrośćthe quality of being munificent; generosity
- hojnośćthe quality of being munificent; generosity
Portuguese munificência
- munificênciathe quality of being munificent; generosity
Russian ще́дрость
- ще́дрость (ščédrostʹ)the quality of being munificent; generosity
Slovak štedrosť
- štedrosťthe quality of being munificent; generosity
Spanish munificencia
- munificenciathe quality of being munificent; generosity
Swedish frikostighet, generositet
- frikostighetthe quality of being munificent; generosity
- generositetthe quality of being munificent; generosity
- givmildhetthe quality of being munificent; generosity
Turkish cömertlik, alicenaplık
- cömertlikthe quality of being munificent; generosity
- alicenaplıkthe quality of being munificent; generosity
Cite this entry
munificence. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/munificence
“munificence.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/munificence. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “munificence,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/munificence.
Source: munificence on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.