beneficent

adjective

bə-ˈne-fə-sənt How to pronounce beneficent (audio)
Definition of beneficentnext
1
as in benevolent
having or marked by sympathy and consideration for others a beneficent couple who are regular volunteers at a homeless shelter

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2
as in charitable
having or showing a concern for the welfare of others a beneficent effort to help out the needy during the holidays

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in beneficial
promoting or contributing to personal or social well-being cultural activities have a beneficent effect on a community that can't be measured in dollars and cents

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of beneficent With the monetary system in a free-fall, some Iranians would rather have a beneficent king than all these pretenders oh-so-interested in the people. — Editorial Board, Washington Post, 5 Jan. 2026 But in Las Vegas, where spectacle-over-substance is kind of the whole point, the Wizard was a beneficent showman. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 30 Aug. 2025 Far away from the old, broken planet, a libertarian utopia will flourish, under the beneficent sway of the Elon. — Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 28 July 2025 Both center-left and center-right in the West coalesce around calls for more porous borders, freer trade, and open minds, calling them either inevitable or beneficent, or more often both at once. — R. R. Reno, Foreign Affairs, 13 Nov. 2018 See All Example Sentences for beneficent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beneficent
  1. benevolent
  2. charitable
  3. beneficial
  4. compassionate
  5. philanthropic
  6. favorable
  7. kind
  8. humanitarian
Adjective
  • Larger-than-life Halloween celebrations rise up every October like the Great Pumpkin (or a benevolent spooky spirit or two) to captivate visitors with parades, caramel apples, costume contests, and more.
    — Michelle Mastro, Midwest Living, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Promotional images and films conjured a playful, adaptable and benevolent house — plastic as the building block of family happiness.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of benevolent
Adjective
  • Ford Motor Company has its own charitable arm, Ford Philanthropy, which is funded by the company’s earnings.
    — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Another friend, Wanda Love, was a longtime head of a local chamber of commerce who participated in charitable causes.
    — Alene Tchekmedyian, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of charitable
Adjective
  • More broadly, the decoupling could be beneficial for the Nasdaq-100, with Apple potentially serving as a safety trade amid growing AI volatility.
    — Fred Imbert, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026
  • And the controversy, the Collins insider says, may turn out to be perversely beneficial.
    — Chris Smith, Vanity Fair, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of beneficial
Adjective
  • Others discussed overcoming the initial awkwardness of the work and finding satisfaction in helping doctors become more competent and compassionate.
    — Daniel Hunt, Sacbee.com, 18 Oct. 2026
  • At the same time, the lawsuits contend that chatbots are pretending to be agreeable and compassionate while preying on the vulnerable and on teenagers, the first generation to grow up with artificial intelligence.
    — Marc Levy, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of compassionate
Adjective
  • His legal team has said that Chambers has strictly donated to lawful Gaza and Palestine humanitarian and philanthropic aid projects, and O’Shea believes them.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Some billionaires have also pledged philanthropic contributions.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 July 2026
Definition of philanthropic
Adjective
  • The district was widely viewed as more favorable to Republicans following redistricting, but Singer expressed confidence that his support extends beyond GOP voters.
    — Abby Dodge, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Having an audience will yield a favorable or adverse outcome, and that outcome hinges largely on one’s ability to impress, or at least satisfy, those who sit in judgment.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of favorable
Adjective
  • The father of Dinesh Deshmukh had offered to be a kind man and wait as long as the morning of the wedding for the payment of the very reasonable dowry of 50,000 rupees.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Some who met him were kind to him, news outlets reported; others, less so.
    — Jeffrey Tolbert, The Conversation, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of kind
Adjective
  • Over the weekend, political leaders from Marsabit County warned of a deepening humanitarian crisis that could overwhelm host communities already struggling with food and water shortages worsened by climate change.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Pope Leo also discussed the humanitarian crisis in Oleshky on an October 16 phone call with Putin while in the hospital recovering from lung cancer surgery, according to the Vatican.
    — Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of humanitarian

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Cite this Entry

“Beneficent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beneficent. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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