Generously

How to spell generously

10 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce generously

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does generously mean?

1. adverbIn a way that shows willingness to give freely, or in a large and abundant amount.

Generously in a sentence

• The host filled every plate generously at the family dinner.

• Local businesses gave generously to the flood relief fund.

Where does generously come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This adverb traces back to the Latin generosus, which originally meant 'of noble birth' or 'belonging to a fine stock', built on genus, meaning 'birth, race, or kind' (the same root that gives us 'gene', 'genus', and 'genteel'). In its earliest English use during the 1500s, 'generous' likewise described people of noble lineage, since high birth was assumed to bring high character. Over time the meaning drifted from inherited rank toward the qualities thought to accompany it: nobility of spirit, magnanimity, and an open-handed willingness to give. By the 1600s the modern sense of free and liberal giving had taken hold, and the adverb 'generously' followed naturally. The spelling keeps the Latin -ous ending intact, so the trap for writers is the quiet middle: the schwa in 'gener-OUS-ly' and remembering the 'o' before the 'u'.

How the word is built

• gener- (from Latin genus: birth, kind, stock)
• -ous (adjective: full of)
• -ly (adverb)