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beneficence

beneficence

2 8.4
Kind acts that help other people
  • noun
  • /bɪˈnɛfɪsəns/
  • Formal
: beneficencia
  • Beneficence is most frequently associated with individual actors, i.e., a nurse acting with beneficence while caring for a patient.
  • acts of beneficence
  • principle of beneficence
  • beneficence and justice

So usefulness, utility, beneficence, we could use lots of terms here.

Examples

  • For example, a state government is acting with beneficence when requiring immunizations to prevent the spread of infectious disease throughout the population.

    Academic text (2015)
  • In the Virgin Islands, Mocko Jumbies were generally thought to bring good luck and bestow beneficence.

    Academic text (1999)
  • And is this the end of his beneficence?

  • - Please, in your beneficence, heal her.

  • The protagonist, in the wake of this beneficence, says, "Do you know how many good men live in this world?"

    Academic text (2010)
  • Wealth and riches are in his house, and his beneficence lasts forever.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • In criminal law, we mostly owe duties of non-malfeasance, but we sometimes also owe duties of beneficence.

    Academic text (2003)
  • The elaborate adornments testify to the magnitude of their donor's beneficence.

    Academic text (2004)
  • Principle I.3: Fairness and Justice II: Professional Competence and Responsibility. Beneficence, or responsible caring, means that the school psychologist acts to benefit others.

    Academic text (2010)
  • The community truly appreciated her beneficence when she donated food to the local shelter.

Synonyms

kindness
vsbeneficence
257 1.0

Friendly and generous actions that help or comfort other people

focuses more on deliberate acts of doing good for others
generosity
vsbeneficence
124 2.1

Being kind and ready to give money, time, or help to others

is broader covering any good actions not only giving resources
goodwill
vsbeneficence
81 2.8

Friendly feelings and kind acts toward other people

is focused more on actual acts of kindness and generosity
charity
vsbeneficence
66 1.4

Being kind and forgiving toward other people

focuses more on active help and doing beneficial acts for others
good will
vsbeneficence
53 1.9

A friendly, helpful feeling toward other people

refers more to active practice of doing good rather than attitude
philanthropy
vsbeneficence
32 6.3

A wish to help people by giving money or time to good causes

is more general covering small personal acts as well as donations
altruism
vsbeneficence
23 6.5

Caring about other people's needs more than your own

is broader including helpful acts even when self-interest exists
benevolence
vsbeneficence
16 6.1

Kind feelings and actions that help other people

is essentially the same idea but used more often in formal texts
selflessness
vsbeneficence
13 3.9

To care more about other people's needs than your own

is the motive side while the idea includes public practice of goodness
bounty
vsbeneficence
  • Literature
10 9.5

Kindness in giving gifts or help freely

focuses on ordinary kindness and helpful acts rather than gifts
thoughtfulness
vsbeneficence
7 2.9

Being kind and careful about other people's needs and feelings

is broader emphasising practical acts of doing good for others
graciousness
vsbeneficence
6 4.1

Being kind, polite, and generous to other people

is less about manners and more about active helpful behavior
loving-kindness
vsbeneficence
4 5.2

A warm, gentle feeling of care and concern for other people

is broader applying to good acts beyond love-motivated ones
magnanimity
vsbeneficence
  • Formal
3 8.5

Showing great kindness and forgiveness to an opponent or someone weaker

is general kindness and giving not specifically noble forgiveness
helpfulness
vsbeneficence
2 2.3

Willingness to support other people

covers moral goodness and generous spirit beyond mere practical aid
unselfishness
vsbeneficence
2 3.4

Caring about other people and putting their needs before your own

is broader applying to any good acts whether self-denying or not
munificence
vsbeneficence
  • Formal
1 9.9

A very generous giving of money or gifts

covers smaller acts of kindness as well as large donations
liberality
vsbeneficence
1 7.0

Being ready to give money, help or time to other people

is the practice of doing good beyond only financial gifts
kind-heartedness
vsbeneficence
1 2.2

Being caring and helpful to people who need support

focuses more on generous actions rather than only caring feelings
kindliness
vsbeneficence
1 3.2

Being friendly, generous, and caring to other people

stresses active doing good as a broader social practice
kindheartedness
vsbeneficence
1 3.9

A caring and generous attitude toward other people

is more about regular practiced generosity beyond warm feelings
generousness
vsbeneficence
1 3.4

Willingness to give money, time, or help to other people without asking for anything

emphasizes doing good generally rather than only resource giving
towardness
vsbeneficence
  • Archaic
1 8.9

A friendly, helpful way of behaving toward other people

places more weight on generous action than on simple cooperation
openhandedness
vsbeneficence
1 7.2

Being very generous and ready to give to others

is more general including kindness not only large giving
charitableness
vsbeneficence
1 5.3

A willingness to give help or money to people in need

covers broader good actions beyond monetary help to the needy
warmheartedness
vsbeneficence
1 4.4

A kind and friendly feeling toward other people

refers more to action and giving not only warm feelings
bounteousness
vsbeneficence
  • Literature
1 9.9

Willingness to give freely and a lot to others

is the everyday idea of doing good not only abundant giving
prosociality
vsbeneficence
  • Specialized
1 9.2

A way of behaving that helps other people and makes the community better

is similar but used more in social science or technical contexts
bigheartedness
vsbeneficence
4.5

Kind and generous behavior that helps other people

is broader referring also to small acts and ordinary kindness
magnanimousness
vsbeneficence
  • Formal
9.0

Being kind and generous to people with less power

is broader applying to everyday acts of kindness to anyone

Antonyms

cruelty
  • NSFW
128 3.2

Actions that hurt people or animals on purpose

8 8.8

A feeling of wanting to harm other people

maleficence
  • Formal
1 9.9

The act of doing harm or evil to others

How Kind

altruism
23 6.5
philanthropy
32 6.3
beneficence
  • Formal
2 8.4
benevolence
16 6.1
kindness
257 1.0

Surface Forms

beneficence singular
beneficences plural

Morphology

beneficence = beneficent (transparent) = bene + fic + ence

Formed by the adjective 'beneficent' plus the noun-forming suffix '-ence'; the meaning 'the quality of doing good' follows directly from the base.

Etymology

Beneficence comes from Latin parts bene 'well' and facere 'to do', so it literally means 'doing good'. This is the same idea behind benefit and benefactor, which helps remember that beneficence means kind and generous actions.