benevolent
Kind and wanting to do good things for other people.
benevolent in a sentence
- The benevolent king gave food to every hungry family in the village.
- The benevolent old lady next door bakes shortbread for everyone in the street.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to benevolent?
- Amean
- Bselfish
- Ckind
- Dcruel
Show the answer
C: kind. The other three mean the opposite of benevolent.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to benevolent?
- Acaring
- Bcruel
- Ckind
- Dgenerous
Show the answer
B: cruel. The other three mean nearly the same as benevolent.
Words that mean something similar
kind, generous, caring
Words that mean the opposite
cruel, mean, selfish
Careful: benevolent is not kind
Kind is how someone treats you. Benevolent is setting out to do good for people generally. Read why children mix them up.
More words about character & personality
- biased: Unfairly favouring one side over another.
- bravado: A bold show of courage to hide how scared you really are.
- bystander: A person who watches something happen but does not take part.
- callous: Cruel and not caring about other people's feelings.
- candid: Honest and truthful, saying exactly what you really think.
- candidate: Someone who is trying to be chosen for a job, a prize or a place.
- capable: Able to do something well.
- compassionate: Feeling sorry for others who are hurting and wanting to help them.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test