beneficence

English

Etymology

From Middle English beneficence, from Latin beneficentia.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /bəˈnɛf.ɪ.səns/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /bəˈnɛ.fə.sən(t)s/
• Hyphenation: ne‧fi‧cence

Noun

beneficence (countable and uncountable, plural beneficences)

1. The practice of doing good, such as acts of philanthropy, kind deeds; or other acts which benefit someone else.

   Synonyms: kindness, benevolence, charity, generosity

   • 2024 December 12, Eric Cortellessa, “Donald Trump 2024 TIME Person of the Year”, in Time‎^[1], archived from the original on 22 December 2024:

     Trump also promises to attack the sources abroad that he blames for the country’s malaise: economic interdependence, transnational criminals, traditional allies he sees as free riders on America’s long-running global beneficence.

2. Good or charitable character or behavior.
3. (law, medicine, ethics) A duty or obligation to act in the best interests of another, especially a patient or beneficiary.

Synonyms

• See Thesaurus:goodness

Antonyms

• cruelty
• maleficence
• malevolence
• selfishness

Coordinate terms

• nonmaleficence

Derived terms

• beneffectance
• beneficential

Translations

act of philanthropy

• Arabic: مَعْرُوف m (maʕrūf)
• Gothic: 𐌰𐌽𐍃𐍄𐍃 f (ansts)
• Ido: bonfaco (io)
• Irish: dea-ghníomhaíocht f, dea-obair f
• Italian: beneficenza (it) f
• Portuguese: beneficência (pt) f

See also

• benefice
• good works