Dictionary

generosity en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˌd͡ʒɛn.əˈɹɒs.ɪ.ti/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• [ˌd͡ʒɛn.əˈɹɑ.sə.ɾi] (General-American)
• /ˌd͡ʒɛn.əˈɹɑ.sə.ti/ (General-American)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle English generosite, from Latin generōsitās, equivalent to generous + -ity.

Meanings

1. (uncountable) The trait of being willing to donate money, resources, or time.
   • Now we are liberal with our innermost secrets, spraying them into the public ether with a generosity our forebears could not have imagined. Where we once sent love letters in a sealed envelope, or stuck photographs of our children in a family album, now such private material is despatched to servers and clouds operated by people we don't know and will never meet. 2013 June 7, Jonathan Freedland, “Obama is like Apple, Google and Facebook: a once hip brand tainted by Prism”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 1, archived from the original on 13 Mar 2022, page 18:
   • We have mentioned generosity as an outstanding virtue required in Sioux life. 1963, Erik H. Erikson, Childhood and Society:
2. (uncountable) A desire to give or share without expecting payment; charity; an eager willingness to demonstrate openness and empathy or to provide a charitable outlook on something; a desire to share either emotionally or in resources, time, etc.
3. (countable) A generous act.
   • May the generosities of the founders of these halls, be rewarded by the fair and holy characters which shall be here formed[…]. 1873, Reverend M. C. Tyler, Proceedings at the Laying of the Corner Stone of the Sage College of the Cornell University:
   • Givens took the proffered hand. He held it for a time while he allowed the generosity of his nature to overcome his grief at the loss of Bill… 1907, O. Henry, The Princess and the Puma, pages 266–275:
4. (uncountable) The trait of being abundant, more than adequate.
   • He ate everything, despite the generosity of the portions.
5. (archaic, uncountable) Good breeding; nobility of stock.

Forms

Antonyms

stinginess

Deriveds

capernosity · overgenerosity · ungenerosity · supergenerosity

Synonyms

beau geste · charity · largesse · liberality · nobility

Translations (141)

fa جوانمردی (trait of being willing to donate) · ka ხელგაშიშლობა (trait of being willing to donate) · fr générosité (trait of being willing to donate) · de Großmut (the trait of being more than adequate) · it abbondanza (the trait of being more than adequate) · sh velikòdušnōst (acting generously) · sw ukarimu (trait of being willing to donate) · ar جُود (trait of being willing to donate) · da storsind (trait of being willing to donate) · sh велико̀душно̄ст (a generous act) · it generosità (acting generously) · da generøsitet (trait of being willing to donate) · de Generosität (trait of being willing to donate) · bg ще́дрост (trait of being willing to donate) · la largitās (trait of being willing to donate) · hu nagylelkűség (trait of being willing to donate) · cmn 寬厚 /宽厚 (trait of being willing to donate) · pt generosidade (a generous act) · tr cömertlik (trait of being willing to donate) · ro noblețe (good breeding; nobility of stock) · sh velikòdušnōst (trait of being willing to donate) · ko 선심 (acting generously) · tr bağışlayıcılık (a generous act) · ja 寛大さ (trait of being willing to donate) · de Großzügigkeit (a generous act) · ka ხელგაშიშლობა (acting generously) · da storladenhed (trait of being willing to donate) · es generosidad (trait of being willing to donate) · el γενναιοδωρία (trait of being willing to donate) · ckb بھخشندھگی (trait of being willing to donate) · ka სულგრძელობა (trait of being willing to donate) · cmn 大方 (trait of being willing to donate) · es generosidad (good breeding; nobility of stock) · fr générosité (acting generously) · nl gulheid (a generous act) · nl gulheid (acting generously) · fi aatelisuus (good breeding; nobility of stock) · fi anteliaisuus (trait of being willing to donate) · he נַדְבָנוּת (trait of being willing to donate) · ga flaithiúlacht (trait of being willing to donate) · fr bonté (trait of being willing to donate) · nl grootmoedigheid (the trait of being more than adequate) · it bontà (trait of being willing to donate) · ro abundență (the trait of being more than adequate) · fr générosité (good breeding; nobility of stock) · it generosità (trait of being willing to donate) · de Edelmut (good breeding; nobility of stock) · rup bunãtati (trait of being willing to donate) · hu nemesség (good breeding; nobility of stock) · it magnanimità (trait of being willing to donate) · ka გულუხვობა (trait of being willing to donate) · gl xenerosidade (trait of being willing to donate) · tr cömertlik (good breeding; nobility of stock) · fr générosité (a generous act) · es dadivosidad (trait of being willing to donate) · ro generozitate (trait of being willing to donate) · tr bağışlayıcılık (the trait of being more than adequate) · ro generozitate (a generous act) · fi avokätisyys (trait of being willing to donate) · ka დიდსულოვნება (a generous act) · cs štědrost (trait of being willing to donate) · ga mórchroí (trait of being willing to donate) · sh велико̀душно̄ст (trait of being willing to donate) · tr cömertlik (a generous act) · ja 気前 (trait of being willing to donate) · sh darèžljivōst (trait of being willing to donate) · ckb بھخشندھ (a generous act) · tr âlicenaplık (acting generously) · arz كرم (trait of being willing to donate) · ka დიდსულოვნება (trait of being willing to donate) · ga gart (trait of being willing to donate) · ota جومردلك (trait of being willing to donate) · te సద్వినియోగము (trait of being willing to donate) · ru великоду́шие (trait of being willing to donate) · nl genereusheid (trait of being willing to donate) · tr cömertlik (the trait of being more than adequate) · fi anteliaisuus (a generous act) · it atto generoso (a generous act) · ro bunătate (trait of being willing to donate) · bg изобилие (the trait of being more than adequate) · ru ще́дрость (acting generously) · ka გულუხვობა (a generous act) · ca generositat (trait of being willing to donate) · ota ویركی (trait of being willing to donate) · hu bőség (the trait of being more than adequate) · ka დიდსულოვნება (acting generously) · fi yltäkylläisyys (the trait of being more than adequate) · de Großzügigkeit (acting generously) · nl vrijgevigheid (trait of being willing to donate) · nl edelmoed (good breeding; nobility of stock) · ca generositat (a generous act) · de Edelmut (a generous act) · tr âlicenaplık (a generous act) · hu bőkezűség (acting generously) · it magnanimità (the trait of being more than adequate) · sk štedrosť (trait of being willing to donate) · ka გულუხვობა (acting generously) · de Freizügigkeit (acting generously) · fi anteliaisuus (acting generously) · tr âlicenaplık (trait of being willing to donate) · fa بخشندگی (trait of being willing to donate) · pro largetat (trait of being willing to donate) · ga móraigeantacht (trait of being willing to donate) · eo grandanimeco (trait of being willing to donate) · tr cömertlik (acting generously) · uk ще́дрість (trait of being willing to donate) · it abnegazione (trait of being willing to donate) · ka კეთილშობილება (good breeding; nobility of stock) · bg великодушност (acting generously) · he נְדִיבוּת (acting generously) · bg благородство (good breeding; nobility of stock) · de Großzügigkeit (trait of being willing to donate) · be шчо́драсць (trait of being willing to donate) · tr âlicenaplık (the trait of being more than adequate) · ro generozitate (acting generously) · pt generosidade (trait of being willing to donate) · it atto di generosità (a generous act) · ar سَخَاء (trait of being willing to donate) · ar كَرَم (trait of being willing to donate) · he נְדִיבוּת (the trait of being more than adequate) · ka სიუხვე (the trait of being more than adequate) · sv generositet (trait of being willing to donate) · uk ще́дрість (acting generously) · sh дарѐжљиво̄ст (trait of being willing to donate) · ru ще́дрость (trait of being willing to donate) · hu bőkezűség (trait of being willing to donate) · ja 気前のよさ (trait of being willing to donate) · nl gulheid (trait of being willing to donate) · mi manaakitanga (acting generously) · eo malavaro (trait of being willing to donate) · oc generositat (trait of being willing to donate) · ru ще́дрость (a generous act) · sh велико̀душно̄ст (acting generously) · de Großmut (trait of being willing to donate) · it nobiltà d'animo (good breeding; nobility of stock) · ka სულგრძელობა (a generous act) · pl szczodrość (trait of being willing to donate) · cmn 慷慨 (trait of being willing to donate) · ka სულგრძელობა (acting generously) · sh velikòdušnōst (a generous act) · pl hojność (trait of being willing to donate)