beneficent

/bəˈnɛfəsənt/

Other forms: beneficently

Beneficent is the type of act that helps others. If you're a beneficent person, you probably spend a lot of your time volunteering at soup kitchens or homeless shelters, helping people who are less fortunate than you are.

Beneficent shares the same root and sentiment with its fellow adjective, benevolent, which also means something that is good. The two words are so closely related that they also share the same Latin origin. Another related word, benefactor, is someone who gives support to an organization or institution or someone who takes care of another person. Kind, generous, and giving are all synonyms of beneficent.

Definitions of beneficent

1. adjective

   doing or producing good
   “the most beneficent regime in history”

   synonyms:

   benefic

   exerting a favorable or beneficent influence

   kind

   having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior

   antonyms:

   maleficent

   harmful or evil in intent or effect

   baleful, baneful

   deadly or sinister

   evil, malefic, malevolent, malign

   having or exerting a malignant influence

   malign

   evil or harmful in nature or influence
2. adjective

   generous in assistance to the poor
   synonyms: benevolent, eleemosynary, philanthropic

   charitable

   full of love and generosity