benevolence

1. An inclination to perform kind, charitable acts.
2. 1. A kindly act.
   2. A gift given out of generosity.
3. A compulsory tax or payment exacted by some English sovereigns without the consent of Parliament.

noun

1. Kindly, charitable interest in others: altruism, beneficence, benignancy, benignity, charitableness, charity, goodwill, grace, kindheartedness, kindliness, kindness, philanthropy. See attitude/good attitude/bad attitude/neutral attitude, kind/cruel.
2. A charitable deed: benefaction, beneficence, benignity, favor, kindliness, kindness, oblation, office (often used in plural), philanthropy. See give/take/reciprocity, kind/cruel.

Definition: charity
Antonyms: animosity, greediness, ill will, malevolence, meanness, selfishness, spite, unkindness

General desire for the good of others, and disposition to act so as to further that good. Moral philosophers may be more or less optimistic about the intensity and scope of such desire, or its general presence in human nature. See altruism, egoism.

Look up benevolence in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Benevolence is the expression of kindness and altruism.

Benevolence means much good for others. As such, it is a form of love. But some theologians, such as Thomas Jay Oord, have argued that love involves both giving and receiving. A loving person must, then, be both benevolent and open to receiving good gifts from others.

Benevolence may also refer to:

• Benevolence (Phrenology), a faculty in the discredited theory of Phrenology
• USS Benevolence (AH-13), a Haven class hospital ship
• Thomas Jay Oord The Altruism Reader Templeton Foundation Press, 2008.

See also

• Omnibenevolence
• Confucianism
• Taoism

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)