Benevolent

How to spell benevolent

10 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce benevolent

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does benevolent mean?

1. adjectiveKind, generous, and genuinely wishing good for others.

Benevolent in a sentence

• The benevolent donor funded the entire new wing of the hospital.

• Their landlord was unusually benevolent and waived the late fee.

Where does benevolent come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word comes from the Latin benevolens, meaning 'well wishing' or 'kindly disposed', which was formed from bene, meaning 'well', and volens, the present participle of velle, 'to wish' or 'to want'. The literal idea, then, is of someone who actively wishes good things for others, not merely someone who feels gentle. English took it up in the fifteenth century by way of Old French, and it has kept its sense of active, generous goodwill ever since. The same bene element appears in relatives such as benefit, benediction, and benefactor, while the vol root surfaces in voluntary and volition, both of which involve wishing or willing. Remembering that the middle of the word is the wishing part (vol, not val) helps fix the spelling, since the unstressed vowels invite slips.

How the word is built

• bene- (well)
• vol (to wish, from Latin velle)
• -ent (adjective suffix)