英和和英

語源

Circa 1400, original sense “good will, disposition to do good”, Old French benivolence from Latin benevolentia (also directly from Latin), literally “good will”, from bene (“well, good”) + volentia, form of volēns, form of volō (“to wish”), components cognate to English benefit and voluntary, more distantly will (via Proto-Indo-European).

発音

• IPA: /bəˈnɛvələns/

名詞

benevolence (countable and uncountable, plural benevolences)

1. (uncountable) Disposition to do good.

   gesture of benevolence

   show benevolence

   spirit of benevolence

   She smiled with benevolence at the children.

   • 1641 or 1642 (first performance), Richard Brome, A Joviall Crew: Or, The Merry Beggars. Presented in a Comedie, […], London: […] J[ames] Y[oung] for E[dward] D[od] and N[athaniel] E[kins] […], published 1652, →OCLC, Act III, signature [H4], recto:

     Benevolence? vvhich ſhall I be benevolent to; or vvhich firſt? I am puſſell'd in the choice.

2. (uncountable) Charitable kindness.

   His acts of benevolence earned him great respect.

3. (countable) An altruistic gift or act.
4. (UK, historical) A kind of forced loan or contribution levied by kings without legal authority, first so called under Edward IV in 1473.

反意語

• malevolence

派生語

関連する語

参照