# generous

Pronunciation: say "JEN-uh-rus" /ˈd͡ʒɛn(ə)ɹəs/

## Adjective

1. Willing to give and share unsparingly; showing a readiness to give more than is expected or needed, especially money.
   - Simple: Happy to give money, time, or things to others, often more than they expect or need.
   - _A generous donor covered the entire cost of the new library wing._
   - _She has always been generous with her time, mentoring new employees long after hours._
2. Large or plentiful; more than ample in size, amount, or extent.
   - Simple: Larger or more than is usual or needed.
   - _The recipe calls for a generous pinch of salt at the very end._
   - _The jacket has a generous cut through the shoulders, so it fits over a sweater._
3. Noble in behavior or actions; principled, kind, and magnanimous rather than petty.
   - Simple: Kind and fair, choosing to act in a noble way and not in a small or mean way.
   - _In a generous gesture, the senator publicly credited her rival's work in passing the bill._
   - _His generous reading of the critic's harsh review impressed everyone at the table._
4. Invigorating in nature; warming and strengthening to the body or spirits.
   - Simple: Strong and warming, giving the body new energy.
   - _He praised the generous burgundy, claiming it had restored him after the long ride._
   - _The cordial proved generous, reviving the weary travelers within minutes._

## Adjective

5. Of noble birth; descended from an aristocratic family. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: Born into a noble family of high rank.
   - _The herald confirmed that the stranger was generous, sprung from one of the oldest houses in the realm._
   - _Though poor, the family remained generous in blood, tracing its line to ancient earls._

## Origin

English took this from Middle French genereux, which came from Latin generōsus ("of noble birth"). That Latin word derived from genus, meaning "race" or "stock."

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