generous

English

Etymology

From Middle French genereux, and its source, Latin generōsus (“of noble birth”), from genus (“race, stock”).

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA: /ˈdʒɛn(ə)ɹəs/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Adjective

generous (comparative more generous, superlative most generous)

1. (obsolete) Of noble birth. [16th-19th c.]
2. Noble in behaviour or actions; principled, not petty; kind, magnanimous. [from 16th c.]

   Thank you for your generous words.

3. Willing to give and share unsparingly; showing a readiness to give more (especially money) than is expected or needed. [from 17th c.]

   She's been extremely generous with her winnings.

4. Large, more than ample, copious. [from 17th c.]

Synonyms

• See also Wikisaurus:generous

Related terms

• generosity

Translations

willing to give and share unsparingly

• Arabic: كريم (ar) (kariim)
• Basque: eskuzabal (eu), emankor (eu)
• Catalan: generós (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 慷慨 (cmn) (kāngkǎi), 大方 (cmn) (dàfang)

• Czech: štědrý (cs) m
• Dutch: gul (nl), genereus (nl), vrijgevig (nl), scheutig (nl)
• Finnish: antelias (fi)
• French: généreux (fr) m, généreuse (fr) f
• German: großzügig (de), generös (de)
• Greek: γενναιόδωρος (el) (gennaiódoros) (gennaiódoros)

• Irish: mórchroíoch (ga)
• Italian: generoso (it) m
• Japanese: 気の大きい (ja) (ki-no ōkii)
• Persian: بخشنده (fa) (bakh-shan-deh)
• Polish: hojny (pl) m, szczodry m
• Romanian: generos (ro) m and n
• Russian: щедрый (ru) (ščédryj)
• Serbo-Croatian: darèžljiv (sh), velikòdušan (sh)
• Spanish: generoso (es)
• Swahili: ukarimu (sw)
• Turkish: cömert (tr)

noble in character, magnanimous

• Catalan: generós (ca)
• Dutch: grootmoedig
• French: généreux (fr) m, généreuse (fr) f
• Irish: mórchroíoch (ga)
• Italian: magnanimo (it) m

• Jèrriais: génétheux
• Romanian: generos (ro) m and n, generoasă f
• Russian: великодушный (ru) (v'elikodúšnyj), благородный (ru) (blagoródnyj)
• Serbo-Croatian: velikòdušan (sh)

large, ample

• Dutch: gul (nl), genereus (nl)
• German: großzügig (de), generös (de)
• Greek: γερός (el) (gerós) (gerós)

• Italian: abbondante (it)
• Russian: щедрый (ru) (š'édryj)
• Serbo-Croatian: ȉzdāšan (sh), obìlat (sh)

of noble birth

• Dutch: edelboortig, nobel, hooggeboren
• Finnish: jalosukuinen (fi)

• Persian: نجیب (fa) (najib)
• Russian: благородный (blagoródnyj), родовитый (rodovítyj)
• Serbo-Croatian: plemènit (sh),

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

• Serbo-Croatian: velikodušan m
• Mandarin: 慷慨的 (kāngkǎide)
• Hebrew: נדיב
• Italian: generoso m sg, generosa f sg generosi m pl, generose f pl
• Japanese: 気前のいい (kimaenoii), 寛大な (kandaina)

• Korean: 관대한 (gwandaehan)
• Latin: generosus, liberalis
• Portuguese: generoso
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: великодушан m

  Roman: velikodušan m

• Spanish: generoso