Basic Details
Word: Benevolence
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Kindness and a real wish to do good to other people.
Synonyms: kindness, generosity, goodwill, compassion
Antonyms: cruelty, malice, spite
Word origin: Comes from Latin benevolentia, from bene, 'well', and velle, 'to wish'.
How to Spell Benevolence
Syllables: be - nev - o - lence
Tricky part: There are four e's, and the ending is -ence, not -ance. The vowel after v is o.
Watch out for: benevolance, benevelence, benovolence
Memory tip: Think of bene (good) + vol (will, as in voluntary) + ence: a good will. The o of voluntary is the o after v.
Usage Examples
Example 1: The old doctor's benevolence was well known; he never charged poor patients.
Example 2: Out of pure benevolence, our neighbour waters everyone's plants when they travel.
Example 3: The story of the king's benevolence towards the farmers is told in our history book.
Fun Fact
Its opposite is malevolence, which swaps bene, 'well', for male, 'badly': a wish to do harm.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word benevolence as used in the sentence:
The ruler was remembered for his benevolence towards the poor weavers of his kingdom.
a) malice
b) generosity
c) compassion
d) kindness
Show answer
a) malice. Kindness, generosity and compassion all mean much the same as benevolence; malice is a wish to hurt.
Word Cookie
Fill in the missing letters:
ben_vol_nc_
a) e, i, e
b) e, e, e
c) e, a, e
d) i, e, e
Show answer
b) e, e, e. Every gap is an e; the ending is -ence, as in silence, not -ance.
Mingle-Mangle
Unscramble the jumbled word in the sentence and choose the correct word:
Her quiet olnebevecen won her the respect of the whole street.
a) malevolence
b) beneficence
c) benevolence
d) belligerence
Show answer
c) benevolence. The jumble has a b and a v; malevolence begins with m, and neither belligerence nor beneficence has a v.
Spell-o-Spell
Only one word in the list is spelt correctly. Choose the meaning of that word.
1. compasion 2. benevolence 3. hospitalty 4. sincerety
a) the quality of being honest and genuine
b) kindness and a wish to do good
c) a friendly welcome given to guests
d) sympathy for the suffering of others
Show answer
b) kindness and a wish to do good. Hospitality has an i before ty, compassion has a double s, and sincerity ends -ity.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A person known for benevolence would most likely ____.
a) laugh at a fallen child
b) keep all his money hidden
c) shout at his workers
d) help a stranger in trouble
Show answer
d) help a stranger in trouble
2. Which adjective comes from the noun benevolence?
a) benevolent
b) benevolive
c) benevolous
d) benevolish
Show answer
a) benevolent
