beneficence

English

Etymology

From Middle English beneficence, from Latin beneficentia.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bəˈnɛfɪsəns/

Noun

beneficence (countable and uncountable, plural beneficences)

1. An act of philanthropy, a kind deed; an act which benefits someone else.
   • 2024 December 12, Eric Cortellessa, “Donald Trump 2024 TIME Person of the Year”, in Time‎^[1]:

     Trump also promises to attack the sources abroad that he blames for the country’s malaise: economic interdependence, transnational criminals, traditional allies he sees as free riders on America’s long-running global beneficence.

2. Good or charitable character or behavior.

Synonyms

• See Thesaurus:goodness

Antonyms

• maleficence

Coordinate terms

• nonmaleficence

Derived terms

• beneffectance
• beneficential

Translations

act of philanthropy

• Arabic: مَعْرُوف m (maʕrūf)
• Gothic: 𐌰𐌽𐍃𐍄𐍃 f (ansts)
• Ido: bonfaco (io)
• Irish: dea-ghníomhaíocht f, dea-obair f
• Italian: beneficenza (it) f
• Portuguese: beneficência (pt) f

See also

• benefice
• good works