generosity
nouncommon in dialogue
- United Kingdom//ˌd͡ʒɛn.əˈɹɒs.ɪ.ti//
- United States//ˌd͡ʒɛn.əˈɹɑ.sə.ti//
- United States/[ˌd͡ʒɛn.əˈɹɑ.sə.ɾi]/
The trait of being willing to donate money, resources, or time.
noun
- 1
The trait of being willing to donate money, resources, or time.
We have mentioned generosity as an outstanding virtue required in Sioux life.
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.
- 2
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
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[…].
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…
- 4
The trait of being abundant, more than adequate.
He ate everything, despite the generosity of the portions.
- 5
archaicGood breeding; nobility of stock.
Etymology
From Middle English generosite, from Latin generōsitās, equivalent to generous + -ity.
Forms
- plural
- generosities
generosity · The trait of being willing to donate money, resources, or time.
generous · Noble in behaviour or actions; principled, not petty; kind,…generously · In a generous manner, in a way that is giving or ample.genesis · The origin, start, or point at which something comes into…