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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

magnanimous en · ADJ

Pronunciation

  • (US) audio
  • (Australia) audio
  • /mæɡˈnæn.ɪ.məs/ (Received-Pronunciation, US)

Etymology

From Latin magnanimus, from magnus (“great”) + animus (“soul, mind”). Displaced native Old English miċelmōd (literally “big-minded”).

Meanings

  1. Noble and generous in spirit.
    • First, our friendship began at that early time when alone it is unalloyed and sincere; secondly"—and here, in spite of her vivacity, Marie's voice trembled—"you are associated with the only being in the world I ever really loved; and thirdly, I have behaved exceedingly ill to you, and, consequently, feel it quite magnanimous not to hate you, which is the established rule on such occasions. 1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XXIV, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume III, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 206:
    • She is a theame of honour and renowne, / A ſpurre to valiant and magnanimous deeds, / Whoſe preſent courage may beate downe our foes, / And fame in time to come canonize us, […] c. 1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, The Famous Historie of Troylus and Cresseid. […] (First Quarto), London: […] G[eorge] Eld for R[ichard] Bonian and H[enry] Walley, […], published 1609, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii]:
    • I felt vaguely he was a sneak, and remained quite unmollified by advances on his side, which, in a boy's barbarous fashion, unless it suited me to be magnanimous, I haughtily ignored. 1923, Walter de la Mare, Seaton's Aunt:
    • doolittle [sad but magnanimous] They played you off very cunning, Eliza, them two sportsmen. 1912 (date written), [George] Bernard Shaw, “Pygmalion”, in Androcles and the Lion, Overruled, Pygmalion, London: Constable and Company, published 1916, →OCLC, Act V, page 183:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
most magnanimous Degree=Sup lexicographic
more magnanimous Degree=Cmp lexicographic

Deriveds

unmagnanimous

Relateds

magnanimously · magnanimousness · magnanimity

Synonyms

large-hearted · unselfish · great-hearted · big-hearted · generous

Translations (58)

ota كریم (noble and generous in spirit) · bg великоду́шен (noble and generous in spirit) · eo grandanima (noble and generous in spirit) · cs velkodušný (noble and generous in spirit) · ga mór (noble and generous in spirit) · ja 寛大な (noble and generous in spirit) · la magnanimus (noble and generous in spirit) · ca magnànim (noble and generous in spirit) · el μεγαλόψυχος (noble and generous in spirit) · grc μεγαλόψυχος (noble and generous in spirit) · sl velikodušen (noble and generous in spirit) · tr cömert (noble and generous in spirit) · cmn 寛大 (noble and generous in spirit) · lv augstsirdīgs (noble and generous in spirit) · nl edelmoedig (noble and generous in spirit) · is göfuglyndur (noble and generous in spirit) · mk великодушен (noble and generous in spirit) · cmn 坦蕩 /坦荡 (noble and generous in spirit) · ang miċelmōd (noble and generous in spirit) · nl onbaatzuchtig (noble and generous in spirit) · ga mórintinneach (noble and generous in spirit) · ga gartach (noble and generous in spirit) · sv storsint (noble and generous in spirit) · hi उदार (noble and generous in spirit) · gl magnánimo (noble and generous in spirit) · hi महामनस्क (noble and generous in spirit) · fi jalomielinen (noble and generous in spirit) · de edelmütig (noble and generous in spirit) · uk великоду́шний (noble and generous in spirit) · be вялікаду́шны (noble and generous in spirit) · fr magnanime (noble and generous in spirit) · ro mărinimos (noble and generous in spirit) · sh велико̀душан (noble and generous in spirit) · hi महानुभाव (noble and generous in spirit) · is veglyndur (noble and generous in spirit) · cmn 寬宏大度 /宽宏大度 (noble and generous in spirit) · ru великоду́шный (noble and generous in spirit) · sh velikòdušan (noble and generous in spirit) · ur اَعْلیٰ ظَرْف (noble and generous in spirit) · es magnánimo (noble and generous in spirit) · hu nagylelkű (noble and generous in spirit) · sk veľkodušný (noble and generous in spirit) · sa महात्मन् (noble and generous in spirit) · da storsindet (noble and generous in spirit) · is stórlyndur (noble and generous in spirit) · cmn 善意而有雅量 (noble and generous in spirit) · mi ngākau oha (noble and generous in spirit) · de großzügig (noble and generous in spirit) · pt magnânimo (noble and generous in spirit) · it magnanimo (noble and generous in spirit) · pl wielkoduszny (noble and generous in spirit) · ga móraigeanta (noble and generous in spirit) · hy վեհանձն (noble and generous in spirit) · de großmütig (noble and generous in spirit) · is drenglyndur (noble and generous in spirit) · de großherzig (noble and generous in spirit) · ota شریف (noble and generous in spirit) · nl grootmoedig (noble and generous in spirit)