Standard Lemma guide

beneficent

adj · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /bəˈnɛ.fɪ.sənt/
  • US: /bəˈnɛ.fə.sənt/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: B EH2 N AH0 F IH1 SH AH0 N T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Given to acts that are kind, charitable, philanthropic or beneficial.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Near-synonyms: benevolent, generous, magnanimous
  • beneficent spirit
  • beneficent influence
  • beneficent ruler
  • The monk was remembered as a beneficent figure in the village.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: benevolent, generous, magnanimous

Antonyms: maleficent, maleficient, malevolent, malicious, evil, abandoned, arrant, bad, bad apple, bad seed, baleful, scurrilous, baneful, base, black-hearted, dark, deleterious, demonic, depraved, despicable, detrimental, devilish, diabolical, evil-minded, facinorous, flagitious, harmful, heinous, ill-intentioned, ill-natured, immoral, incorrigible, iniquitous, iniquous, injurious, knavish, malefic, malign, malignant, naughty, nefarious, niddering, nidering, niding, nithing, no-good, peccaminous, pernicious, reprehensible, reprobate, satanic, scathful, sinful, sinister, sordid, sullen, ungodly, unholy, vicious, vile, villainous, wicked, wrong

2

adjective

Meaning 2

doing or producing good

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the most beneficent regime in history

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: maleficent

3

adjective satellite

Meaning 3

generous in assistance to the poor

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a benevolent contributor
  • eleemosynary relief
  • philanthropic contributions

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: benevolent, eleemosynary, philanthropic

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Latin *beneficens, *beneficent-, from bene (“well, good”) + -ficens, combining form from faciens, present participle of facere (“to make or do”). Compare English beneficence.

Across languages

Translations

29 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Northern Altai: пиийанныг (piiyannïg) — Translations
  • Arabic: رَحِيم (raḥīm) — Translations
  • Arabic: مُحْسِن (muḥsin) — Translations
  • Arabic: مُتَصَدِّق (mutaṣaddiq) — Translations
  • Bulgarian: благодетелен (blagodetelen) — Translations
  • Chinese Mandarin: 仁慈 (réncí) — Translations
  • Chinese Mandarin: 慈善 (císhàn) — Translations
  • Chinese Mandarin: 善行 (shànxíng) — Translations
  • Finnish: hyvää tekevä — Translations
  • French: miséricordieux — Translations
  • French: bienfaisant — Translations
  • German: wohltätig — Translations
  • German: mildtätig — Translations
  • Greek: αγαθοποιός (agathopoiós) — Translations
  • Ancient Greek: ἀγαθοποιός (agathopoiós) — Translations
  • Japanese: 慈悲深い (jihibukai) — Translations
  • Japanese: 情け深い (nasakebukai) — Translations
  • Japanese: 奇特な (kidoku-na) — Translations
  • Latin: beneficus — Translations
  • Persian: نیکوکار (nikukâr) — Translations
  • Persian: سودبخش (sudbaxš) — Translations
  • Portuguese: beneficente — Translations
  • Romanian: binefăcător — Translations
  • Russian: ми́лостивый (mílostivyj) — Translations
  • Russian: благоде́тельный (blagodételʹnyj) — Translations
  • Spanish: benéfico — Translations
  • Spanish: benefactor — Translations
  • Spanish: bienhechor — Translations
  • Ukrainian: благотво́рний (blahotvórnyj) — Translations
Real reading context

beneficent in complete knowledge articles