adjective

benevolent

benevolent, kind, charitable, generous

He was a benevolent old man.

He was a benevolent old man.

A benevolent smile lit up her face.

A benevolent smile lit up her face.

((noun)) kind and generous. She was a benevolent queen.

Synonyms: kind, charitable, generous; Antonyms: malevolent, malicious

From Latin 'bene' (well) + 'volens' (wishing), literally meaning 'well-wishing'.

Think of the prefix 'bene-' as meaning 'good', as in 'benefit'. It's the opposite of 'malevolent'.

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