Meanings
comparative more munificent · superlative most munificent
- Very liberal in giving or bestowing.
[M]ilk producers are among the most munificent backers of political campaigns in the U.S.
1974 April 8, “Politics: Milkmen Skimming Off More Cream”, in Time, retrieved 05 Sep 20133 more examples
Munificent as he was in his own disposition in the conferring of favours, his acceptance, under the circumstances we have described, of the fortune bestowed by Robert, he found upon reasoning with himself to be perfectly consistent with the most scrupulous principles of uprightness and probity:[…]
1838, [Letitia Elizabeth] Landon (indicated as editor), chapter XXI, in Duty and Inclination: […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 272Tellson's Bank […] was a munificent house, and extended great liberality to old customers who had fallen from their high estate.
1859, Charles Dickens, chapter 30, in A Tale of Two CitiesAn exceptionally munificent benefactor of several institutions, he has given $100 million each to MIT and Harvard.
2008 March 20, Martin Filler, “Broad-Minded Museum”, in New York Review of Books, retrieved 05 Sep 2013 - usuallydonationVery generous; lavish.
The machinists finally agreed to a munificent increase averaging 5.7% a year for three years.
1969 April 11, “Business: Up, Up and Away with Wages”, in Time, retrieved 05 Sep 20132 more examples
On the hill, where kites used to be flown, stood the fine college which Mr Laurence's munificent legacy had built.
1886, Louisa M[ay] Alcott, chapter 1, in Jo’s Boys, and How They Turned Out. A Sequel to “Little Men.”, Boston, Mass.: Roberts Brothers, →OCLCIt was all very well for this casual youth to make her a present of a half million acres of land in this debonair way, but she could not persuade herself to accept so munificent a gift.
1914, William MacLeod Raine, chapter 25, in A Daughter of the Donss
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectivevery generous
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinmūnificentia
- Englishmunificent
Back-formation from munificence, from Latin mūnificentia.
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian разточителен, да́шен
- разточителен (raztočitelen)(of a person or group) very liberal in giving or bestowing
- да́шен (dášen)(of a person or group) very liberal in giving or bestowing
- щедър (štedăr)(of a gift, donation, etc.) very generous; lavish
Chinese Cantonese 厚重
- 厚重 (hau⁵ zung⁶)(of a gift, donation, etc.) very generous; lavish
Chinese Mandarin 厚重
- 厚重 (hòuzhòng)(of a gift, donation, etc.) very generous; lavish
Czech velkomyslný, velkorysý
- velkomyslný(of a person or group) very liberal in giving or bestowing
- velkorysý(of a person or group) very liberal in giving or bestowing
- velkomyslný(of a gift, donation, etc.) very generous; lavish
- velkorysý(of a gift, donation, etc.) very generous; lavish
Dutch vrijgevig, goedgeefs
- vrijgevig(of a person or group) very liberal in giving or bestowing
- goedgeefs(of a person or group) very liberal in giving or bestowing
- gul(of a person or group) very liberal in giving or bestowing
- munificent(of a person or group) very liberal in giving or bestowing
- genereus(of a person or group) very liberal in giving or bestowing
Finnish antelias, avokätinen
- antelias(of a person or group) very liberal in giving or bestowing
- avokätinen(of a person or group) very liberal in giving or bestowing
- antelias(of a gift, donation, etc.) very generous; lavish
- avokätinen(of a gift, donation, etc.) very generous; lavish
German freigebig, großzügig
- freigebig(of a person or group) very liberal in giving or bestowing
- großzügig(of a gift, donation, etc.) very generous; lavish
Hindi दानवीर
- दानवीर (dānvīr)(of a person or group) very liberal in giving or bestowing
Indonesian dermawan
- dermawan(of a person or group) very liberal in giving or bestowing
Italian munifico
- munifico(of a person or group) very liberal in giving or bestowing
Korean 후하다, 후하다
- 후하다 (huhada)(of a person or group) very liberal in giving or bestowing
- 후하다 (huhada)(of a gift, donation, etc.) very generous; lavish
Māori ngākau oha
- ngākau oha(of a person or group) very liberal in giving or bestowing
Norwegian Bokmål generøs, raus
- generøs(of a person or group) very liberal in giving or bestowing
- raus(of a person or group) very liberal in giving or bestowing
- rundhåndet(of a person or group) very liberal in giving or bestowing
- raus(of a gift, donation, etc.) very generous; lavish
- generøs(of a gift, donation, etc.) very generous; lavish
- overdådig(of a gift, donation, etc.) very generous; lavish
Polish szczodry, hojny
- szczodry(of a person or group) very liberal in giving or bestowing
- hojny(of a person or group) very liberal in giving or bestowing
- szczodry(of a gift, donation, etc.) very generous; lavish
- hojny(of a gift, donation, etc.) very generous; lavish
Russian ще́дрый
- ще́дрый (ščédryj)(of a person or group) very liberal in giving or bestowing
Spanish generoso, desprendido
- generoso(of a person or group) very liberal in giving or bestowing
- desprendido(of a person or group) very liberal in giving or bestowing
- dadivoso(of a person or group) very liberal in giving or bestowing
- munificente(of a person or group) very liberal in giving or bestowing
Swedish frikostig, givmild
- frikostig(of a person or group) very liberal in giving or bestowing
- givmild(of a person or group) very liberal in giving or bestowing
- generös(of a person or group) very liberal in giving or bestowing
Ukrainian щедрий, щедрий
- щедрий (ščedryj)(of a person or group) very liberal in giving or bestowing
- щедрий (ščedryj)(of a gift, donation, etc.) very generous; lavish
Cite this entry
munificent. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/munificent
“munificent.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/munificent. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “munificent,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/munificent.
Source: munificent on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.