largesse

English

Alternative forms

• largess

Etymology

From Middle English larges, largess, largesse, from Old French largesse, largesce, largece, from Vulgar Latin *largitia, from Latin largus (“abundant, large, liberal”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /lɑːˈ(d)ʒɛs/
• (US) IPA^(key): /lɑɹˈ(d)ʒɛs/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

largesse (plural largesses)

1. (uncountable) Generosity in the giving of gifts or money.

   Synonyms: benevolence, generosity, graciousness, boon

   Antonyms: niggardliness, tight fistedness

2. The gifts or money given in such a way.
   • 1846, Charles Dickens, Pictures from Italy, published 1913, page 264:

     The procession was brought to a close, by some dozen indomitable warriors of different nations, riding two and two, and haughtily surveying the tame population of Modena: among whom, however, they occasionally condescended to scatter largesse in the form of a few handbills.

3. A benevolent demeanor.

Translations

generosity in the giving of gifts or money

• Belarusian: шчо́драсць f (ščódrascʹ)
• Bulgarian: ще́дрост (bg) f (štédrost)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 樂善好施 (zh), 乐善好施 (zh) (lè shàn hào shī)

• Czech: štědrost f
• Dutch: gulheid (nl) f
• Finnish: runsaskätisyys
• French: largesse (fr) f
• Galician: largueza f, xenerosidade (gl) f
• German: Großzügigkeit (de) f

• Latin: dōnātīvum n
• Polish: szczodrość (pl) f, hojność (pl) f
• Portuguese: largueza f, generosidade (pt) f
• Russian: ще́дрость (ru) f (ščédrostʹ)
• Slovak: štedrosť f
• Spanish: largueza f
• Turkish: cömertlik (tr), ahilik (tr), bonkörlük (tr), eli açıklık (tr), mürüvvet (tr), semahat (tr) (archaic)
• Ukrainian: ще́дрість f (ščédristʹ)

the gifts or money given in such a way

• Czech: dar (cs) m
• Dutch: gulle (nl) giften (nl)
• French: largesses (fr) f pl

• Italian: elargizione (it)
• Maori: whakahiku

benevolent demeanor

• Dutch: gulheid (nl) f

• Galician: largueza f

Anagrams

• Glaesers, eelgrass, gearless, rageless

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French

Etymology

From Old French largesce, corresponding to large +‎ -esse.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /laʁ.ʒɛs/
• Rhymes: -ɛs

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

largesse f (plural largesses)

1. largess; financial generosity

Further reading

• “largesse”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Anagrams

• réglasse