BENEVOLENCE

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does benevolence mean? 

• BENEVOLENCE (noun)
  The noun BENEVOLENCE has 3 senses:

1. disposition to do good

2. an inclination to do kind or charitable acts

3. an act intending or showing kindness and good will

  Familiarity information: BENEVOLENCE used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BENEVOLENCE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Disposition to do good

Classified under:

Nouns denoting feelings and emotions

Hypernyms ("benevolence" is a kind of...):

love (a strong positive emotion of regard and affection)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "benevolence"):

beneficence (doing good; feeling beneficent)

Antonym:

malevolence (wishing evil to others)

Sense 2

Meaning:

An inclination to do kind or charitable acts

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("benevolence" is a kind of...):

kindness (the quality of being warmhearted and considerate and humane and sympathetic)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "benevolence"):

brotherly love; charity (a kindly and lenient attitude toward people)

Sense 3

Meaning:

An act intending or showing kindness and good will

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

benefaction; benevolence

Hypernyms ("benevolence" is a kind of...):

benignity; kindness (a kind act)

Derivation:

benevolent (intending or showing kindness)

 Context examples 

In any case, he will have the benevolence to consider this communication strictly private, and on no account whatever to be alluded to, however distantly, in the presence of Mr. Micawber.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

I admire the activity of your benevolence, observed Mary, but every impulse of feeling should be guided by reason; and, in my opinion, exertion should always be in proportion to what is required.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

His smile of benevolence was a wonderful thing, when his cheeks would suddenly bunch into two red apples, between his half-closed eyes and his great black beard.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

There was something of Mr. Pickwick’s benevolence in his appearance, marred only by the insincerity of the fixed smile and by the hard glitter of those restless and penetrating eyes.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

"If he only wanted to steady down, I'd give him a job drivin' the wagon," her husband said, but with no trace of benevolence in his voice. "Tom's quit."

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

He had a large red face, with pendulous cheeks, and a general air of superficial benevolence which was marred by a cruel, vicious mouth.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

My change of manner surprised and pleased the magistrate; perhaps he thought that my former exclamation was a momentary return of delirium, and now he instantly resumed his former benevolence.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

The old lady relieves the high-flown benevolence of her husband with a good deal of spirit.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

Jo often watched him, trying to discover the charm, and at last decided that it was benevolence which worked the miracle.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

General benevolence, but not general friendship, made a man what he ought to be.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)