Dictionary
Thesaurus
Reference
Translate
Web
Related Searches
on Ask.com
Synonyms
Nearby Entries
benevolence - 5 dictionary results

be⋅nev⋅o⋅lence

  [buh-nev-uh-luhns]
Use benevolence in a Sentence
–noun
1. desire to do good to others; goodwill; charitableness: to be filled with benevolence toward one's fellow creatures.
2. an act of kindness; a charitable gift.
3. English History. a forced contribution to the sovereign.
Origin:
1350–1400; ME < L benevolentia. See benevolent, -ence

Antonyms:
1. malevolence.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To benevolence
be·nev·o·lence   (bə-něv'ə-ləns)   
n.  
  1. An inclination to perform kind, charitable acts.
    1. A kindly act.
    2. A gift given out of generosity.
  3. A compulsory tax or payment exacted by some English sovereigns without the consent of Parliament.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source

Benevolence

Be*nev"o*lence\, n. [OF. benevolence, L. benevolentia. See Benevolent.]

1. The disposition to do good; good will; charitableness; love of mankind, accompanied with a desire to promote their happiness.

The wakeful benevolence of the gospel. --Chalmers.

2. An act of kindness; good done; charity given.

3. A species of compulsory contribution or tax, which has sometimes been illegally exacted by arbitrary kings of England, and falsely represented as a gratuity.

Syn: Benevolence, Beneficence, Munificence.

Usage: Benevolence marks a disposition made up of a choice and desire for the happiness of others. Beneficence marks the working of this disposition in dispensing good on a somewhat broad scale. Munificence shows the same disposition, but acting on a still broader scale, in conferring gifts and favors. These are not necessarily confined to objects of immediate utility. One may show his munificence in presents of pictures or jewelry, but this would not be beneficence. Benevolence of heart; beneficence of life; munificence in the encouragement of letters.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
Cite This Source
Language Translation for : benevolence
Spanish: benevolencia,
German: das Wohlwollen,
Japanese: 慈悲
More Translations »

benevolence 
c.1384, "disposition to do good," from L. benevolentia "good feeling," from bene "well" + volantem (nom. volens) prp. of velle "to wish." In Eng. history, this was the name given to forced extra-legal loans or contributions to the crown, first so called 1473 by Edward IV, who cynically "asked" it as a token of good will toward his rule.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source

benevolence

in English history, any sum of money, disguised as a gift, extorted by various English kings, from Edward IV to James I, from their subjects without Parliament's consent. Forced loans had been taken earlier, but Edward IV discarded even the pretense of repayment, and the word benevolence was first used in 1473 to describe an extorted gift. Richard III's attempts to raise benevolences were opposed by Parliament, which in 1484 abolished them as "new and unlawful inventions." In spite of the law, Henry VII made widespread use of the practice, in 1495 persuading Parliament to make those who had promised gifts legally liable for unpaid arrears. Henry VIII demanded benevolences in 1528 and 1545, but the practice was not followed by his successors. It was revived by James I, who received large sums in 1614. Further attempts to exact gifts in 1615, 1620, and 1622 aroused considerable protest, and the practice was finally discontinued.

Learn more about benevolence with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see benevolence on Thesaurus | Reference