noun · 7 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
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/bəˈnɛvələns/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Mid-Atlantic, US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:B AH0 N EH1 V AH0 L AH0 N S
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
Disposition to do good.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
Examples
gesture of benevolence
show benevolence
spirit of benevolence
She smiled with benevolence at the children.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
Charitable kindness.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
Examples
His acts of benevolence earned him great respect.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
An altruistic gift or act.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
A kind of forced loan or contribution levied by kings without legal authority, first so called under Edward IV in 1473.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, countable, historical, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
an act intending or showing kindness and good will
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: benefaction
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: kindness, benignity
6
noun
Meaning 6
an inclination to do kind or charitable acts
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: kindness
Narrower terms: charity, brotherly love
7
noun
Meaning 7
disposition to do good
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: malevolence
Broader terms: love
Narrower terms: beneficence
History
Etymology
Circa 1400, original sense “good will, disposition to do good”, Old French benivolence from Latin benevolentia (also directly from Latin), literally “good will”, from bene (“well, good”) + volentia, form of volēns, form of volō (“to wish”), components cognate to English benefit and voluntary, more distantly will (via Proto-Indo-European).
Across languages
Translations
54 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
النزعَة إلى الخير
— disposition to do good
Bulgarian:
доброжела́телност
(dobroželátelnost)
— disposition to do good
Catalan:
benevolència
— disposition to do good
Chinese Mandarin:
仁慈
(réncí)
— disposition to do good
Chinese Mandarin:
仁
(rén)
— disposition to do good
Chinese Mandarin:
慈悲
(cíbēi)
— disposition to do good
Danish:
velvilje
— disposition to do good
Dutch:
welwillendheid
— disposition to do good
Dutch:
goede wil
— disposition to do good
Dutch:
gulheid
— disposition to do good
Finnish:
hyväntahtoisuus
— disposition to do good
French:
bienveillance
— disposition to do good
French:
bénévolence
— disposition to do good
Galician:
largueza
— disposition to do good
German:
Gutmütigkeit
— disposition to do good
German:
Mildherzigkeit
— disposition to do good
Greek:
καλοσύνη
(kalosýni)
— disposition to do good
Ancient Greek:
φιλανθρωπία
(philanthrōpía)
— disposition to do good
Hindi:
हितैषिता
(hitaiṣitā)
— disposition to do good
Hindi:
हितेच्छा
(hitecchā)
— disposition to do good
Hungarian:
jóindulat
— disposition to do good
Icelandic:
örlæti
— disposition to do good
Ido:
bonvolo
— disposition to do good
Irish:
dea-mhéin
— disposition to do good
Japanese:
仁
(jin)
— disposition to do good
Japanese:
慈悲
(jihi)
— disposition to do good
Latin:
benevolentia
— disposition to do good
Macedonian:
доброна́мерност
(dobronámernost)
— disposition to do good
Macedonian:
благонакло́нетост
(blagonaklónetost)
— disposition to do good
Old English:
welwillendnes
— disposition to do good
Polish:
benewolencja
— disposition to do good
Polish:
łaskawość
— disposition to do good
Polish:
przychylność
— disposition to do good
Polish:
życzliwość
— disposition to do good
Polish:
dobroć
— disposition to do good
Portuguese:
benevolência
— disposition to do good
Romanian:
bunăvoință
— disposition to do good
Russian:
благожела́тельность
(blagoželátelʹnostʹ)
— disposition to do good
Russian:
доброжела́тельность
(dobroželátelʹnostʹ)
— disposition to do good
Russian:
доброта́
(dobrotá)
— disposition to do good
Russian:
ми́лость
(mílostʹ)
— disposition to do good
Spanish:
benevolencia
— disposition to do good
Swedish:
välvilja
— disposition to do good
Turkish:
hayırseverlik
— disposition to do good
Turkish:
yardımseverlik
— disposition to do good
Turkish:
iyilikseverlik
— disposition to do good
Turkish:
esirgemezlik
— disposition to do good
Turkish:
himmet
— disposition to do good
Ukrainian:
доброзичли́вість
(dobrozyčlývistʹ)
— disposition to do good
Ukrainian:
зичли́вість
(zyčlývistʹ)
— disposition to do good