# benevolent

Pronunciation: say "buh-NEV-uh-lunt" /bəˈnɛvələnt/

## Adjective

1. Inclined by nature to do good, acting with kindness, generosity, and fairness toward others.
   - Simple: Wanting to do good, and being kind, generous, and fair to other people.
   - _Local folk tales portray the mountain spirits as benevolent, guiding lost hikers back to the trail._
   - _Under a benevolent manager, the staff felt safe admitting their mistakes._
2. Feeling or showing love for humankind as a whole.
   - Simple: Feeling or showing love for all the people in the world.
   - _The benevolent founder spent her fortune on schools and hospitals for people she would never meet._
   - _His letters reveal a benevolent concern for the welfare of all humanity._

## Origin

From Old French benevolent, borrowed from Latin benevolēns ("benevolent"). It replaced the native Old English word welwillende, literally "well-wishing".

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/benevolent (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).