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GRE vocabulary

benevolent

adjectiveHigh-frequency wordMore B words

kind, generous, and well-meaning toward others

Word origin: From Latin bene (well) plus velle (to wish).

In a sentence

Benevolent in a sentence

Here are example sentences showing benevolent in a sentence.

A benevolent landlord, she forgave rent during the hardest months.

The foundation's benevolent grants funded rural clinics that no government program would underwrite.

Synonyms
kindlycharitablebenignaltruistic
Antonyms
Usage & nuance

Using “benevolent” well

Benevolent stresses an active disposition to do good for others, not just a mild absence of harm. Distinguish it from benign, which means harmless rather than actively kind.

Common questions

Questions about “benevolent

Benevolent (adjective) means kind, generous, and well-meaning toward others
Here is benevolent used in an example sentence: "A benevolent landlord, she forgave rent during the hardest months." Another example: "The foundation's benevolent grants funded rural clinics that no government program would underwrite."
Common synonyms for benevolent include kindly, charitable, benign, altruistic.
Antonyms of benevolent include malevolent, cruel.
Benevolent pairs with kindly, charitable, benign, and altruistic. Its antonyms malevolent and cruel mark the wrong-sign trap to watch for in Text Completion.
Yes. Benevolent is a high-frequency GRE word, so it is worth prioritising as you build your vocabulary.

Learn words the way the GRE tests them.

Vocabulary sticks when you meet it in real sentences. Practise these words inside text completion and sentence equivalence questions.