1
as in compassionate
having or marked by sympathy and consideration for others
a benevolent willingness to provide veterinary services to low-income families at greatly reduced prices
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in charitable
having or showing a concern for the welfare of others
a benevolent businessman who has donated money and time to helping inner-city youths
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of benevolent
When thinking about quintessential Southern attributes, qualities like hospitable, benevolent, and polite come to mind.
—
Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 2 Mar. 2025
Taiwan was clearly an outpost of American empire, but the U.S. presence was benevolent in certain ways.
—Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 25 Feb. 2025
The benevolent master of ceremonies left a care kit beneath each audience member's seat for the nearly four-hour show.
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2025
In Thai Buddhist lore, these trees, thousands of which spike Koh Samui, are home to benevolent spirits, says political scientist Pavin Chachavalpongpun, from the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at Japan’s Kyoto University.
—Ronan O'Connell, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for benevolent
Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 2 Mar. 2025
Taiwan was clearly an outpost of American empire, but the U.S. presence was benevolent in certain ways.
—Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 25 Feb. 2025
The benevolent master of ceremonies left a care kit beneath each audience member's seat for the nearly four-hour show.
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2025
In Thai Buddhist lore, these trees, thousands of which spike Koh Samui, are home to benevolent spirits, says political scientist Pavin Chachavalpongpun, from the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at Japan’s Kyoto University.
—Ronan O'Connell, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for benevolent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for benevolent
Adjective
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Also there is having to balance being compassionate and caring while also remembering that this is a business.—
J.M. Banks,
Kansas City Star,
9 Apr. 2025
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But White and Jonas haven’t built an anxious or a particularly compassionate Jamie.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust’s portfolio.—
Natasha Abellard,
CNBC,
27 Mar. 2025
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By structuring a sale through a charitable remainder unitrust (CRUT), business owners can reduce taxes, generate a lifetime income stream and ultimately leave a charitable legacy—while also ensuring their heirs receive an equivalent inheritance through life insurance.—
Jamie Farmer,
Forbes.com,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The long gap between seasons has not been kind to the show, which returned way down in the ratings this past fall.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
2 Apr. 2025
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Holly Marie Combs has nothing but kind words for the young Pretty Little Liars cast — and a couple of digs at her twentysomething self.—
Ryan Coleman,
EW.com,
31 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Though Messiah has had philanthropic success — including a donor who recently pledged to match $100,000 in donations — rising food prices could mean making cuts, Lemke said.—
Star Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2025
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Rather than ‘doing good’ with a one-time injection of funds, this model allows philanthropic capital to regenerate over time.—
Chris Gallagher,
USA TODAY,
13 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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And this is clearly a policy that pisses off a lot of the business community, which Trump has been very sympathetic to, and which has rewarded him with a lot of support, especially the second time around.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2025
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Valadao on tariffs Valadao, a dairy farmer deeply involved in trade issues, is sympathetic.—
David Lightman,
Sacbee.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Once the animals left the vet and moved to the shelter, they were split up while there, as cats aren't housed in the dog boarding area of the humane society.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
People.com,
31 Mar. 2025
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The humane society is in Clearwater, west of Tampa.—
Simone Jasper,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Yeah, well, thank you for having me on and thank you for that really generous introduction.—
Tax Notes Staff,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
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Of all the airlines, Alaska and Hawaiian offer the most generous commitments.—
Bailey Berg,
AFAR Media,
8 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Benevolent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/benevolent. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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