Chapter Benedictional to Bent of B by Webster's Dictionary (1913 Edition)

1. The disposition to do good; good will; charitableness; love of mankind, accompanied with a desire to promote their happiness.

The wakeful benevolence of the gospel.
Chalmers.

2. An act of kindness; good done; charity given.

3. A species of compulsory contribution or tax, which has sometimes been illegally exacted by arbitrary kings of England, and falsely represented as a gratuity.

Syn. — Benevolence, Beneficence, Munificence. Benevolence marks a disposition made up of a choice and desire for the happiness of others. Beneficence marks the working of this disposition in dispensing good on a somewhat broad scale. Munificence shows the same disposition, but acting on a still broader scale, in conferring gifts and favors. These are not necessarily confined to objects of immediate utility. One may show his munificence in presents of pictures or jewelry, but this would not be beneficence. Benevolence of heart; beneficence of life; munificence in the encouragement of letters.

Benevolent
(Be*nev"o*lent) a. [L. benevolens, -entis; bene well (adv. of bonus good) + volens, p. pr. of volo I will, I wish. See Bounty, and Voluntary.] Having a disposition to do good; possessing or manifesting love to mankind, and a desire to promote their prosperity and happiness; disposed to give to good objects; kind; charitable. — Be*nev"o*lent*ly, adv.

Syn. — Benevolent, Beneficent. Etymologically considered, benevolent implies wishing well to others, and beneficent, doing well. But by degrees the word benevolent has been widened to include not only feelings, but actions; thus, we speak of benevolent operations, benevolent labors for the public good, benevolent societies. In like manner, beneficent is now often applied to feelings; thus, we speak of the beneficent intentions of a donor. This extension of the terms enables us to mark nicer shades of meaning. Thus, the phrase "benevolent labors" turns attention to the source of these labors, viz., benevolent feeling; while beneficent would simply mark them as productive of good. So, "beneficent intentions" point to the feelings of the donor as bent upon some specific good act; while "benevolent intentions" would only denote a general wish and design to do good.

Benevolous
(Be*nev"o*lous) a. [L. benevolus.] Kind; benevolent. [Obs.] T. Puller.

Bengal
(Ben*gal") n.

1. A province in India, giving its name to various stuffs, animals, etc.

2. A thin stuff, made of silk and hair, originally brought from Bengal.

3. Striped gingham, originally brought from Bengal; Bengal stripes.

Bengal light, a firework containing niter, sulphur, and antimony, and producing a sustained and vivid colored light, used in making signals and in pyrotechnics; — called also blue light. — Bengal stripes, a kind of cotton cloth woven with colored stripes. See Bengal, 3. — Bengal tiger. (Zoöl.). See Tiger.

Bengalee
(Ben*gal"ee, Ben*gal"i) n. The language spoken in Bengal.

Bengalese
(Ben`gal*ese") a. Of or pertaining to Bengal. — n. sing. & pl. A native or natives of Bengal.

Bengola
(Ben*go"la) n. A Bengal light.

Benight
(Be*night") v. t. [imp. & p. p. Benighted; p. pr. & vb. n. Benighting.]