eleemosynary en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /ˌɛl.ɪˈmɑː.zə.nɛɹ.i/ (US)
- /ˌɛl.i.ɪˈmɑː.sə.nɛɹ.i/ (US)
- (US) audio
- /ˌɛl.ɪˈmɑː.sə.nɛɹ.i/ (US)
- /ˌɛl.ɪ.iːˈmɒ.sɪ.nə.ɹi/ (UK)
- /ˌɛl.i.ɪˈmɑː.zə.nɛɹ.i/ (US)
Etymology
From Medieval Latin eleēmosynārius (“alms dispenser”), from Late Latin eleēmosyna (“alms”), from Ancient Greek ἐλεημοσύνη (eleēmosúnē, “alms”), from ἐλεήμων (eleḗmōn, “merciful”) + -σῠ́νη (-sŭ́nē, “suffix denoting an abstract noun”). Compare Italian elemosina.
Meanings
-
Relating to charity, alms, or almsgiving.
He did some work for the New York Public Library . . . and also dabbled in eleemosynary science for the Russell Sage Foundation.
1918, Christopher Morley, “Owd Bob”, in Mince Pie:I am bound to say he didn't criticise his benefactors, though practically he got tired of them; she, however, had the highest standards about eleemosynary forms.
1894, Henry James, The Coxon Fund:
-
Given in charity or alms; having the nature of alms
Crouch low thy neck to eleemosynary gifts.
1892, Walt Whitman, “To the Pending Year”, in Leaves of Grass:An author ought to consider himself, not as a gentleman who gives a private or eleemosynary treat, but rather as one who keeps a public ordinary, at which all persons are welcome for their money.
1749, Henry Fielding, chapter I, in The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, book I:His spirited refusal of an eleemosynary supply of shoes, arose, no doubt, from a proper pride.
1791, James Boswell, Life of Johnson, Aetat. 22
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Supported by charity
... it is also true that the policy of nations, or the bounty of individuals, formerly did much to counteract the effect of this limitation of competition, by offering eleemosynary instruction to a much larger class of persons than could have obtained the same advantages by paying their price.
1871, John Stuart Mill, Principles of Political Economy, p. 482:[The Sixteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution] set the State up as the largest eleemosynary institution in the history of the world.
1959, Frank Chodorov, The Rise and Fall of Society, Devin-Adair, Chapter 14, page 143:Amidst all this, the legal business, the acquiring of land, the construction of the Montgomery Block, Billings had generosity and time to support the founding of the University of California and a half dozen churches, schools, orphan asylums and other eleemosynary institutions.
1991 October 27, Washington Post:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| most eleemosynary | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| more eleemosynary | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| eleëmosynary | alternative | lexicographic |
Deriveds
eleemosynary corporation · eleemosynarily · uneleemosynary · eleemosynariness · noneleemosynary
Synonyms
Translations (6)
pt apoiado por caridade (supported by charity) · zh 慈善的 (given in charity) · pt relacionado a caridade (relating to charity) · pt fornecido através de caridade (given in charity) · zh 接受接济的 (supported by charity) · zh 施舍的 (relating to charity)