Generosity

ˌdʒɛnəˈrɒsɪti

nounBeginner📊CommonEmotion
1 meaning2 idioms/phrases3 questions

Definitions

1

The quality of being kind, understanding, and ready to give.

ˌdʒɛnəˈrɒsɪti

nounpositiveBeginner
Emotion

The quality of being kind, understanding, and ready to give to others.

The community was overwhelmed by the generosity of the volunteers.

💡 Simply: Generosity means being super giving and sharing. Like, if you give your best friend your favorite toy, that's showing generosity!

👶 For kids: Being generous is like sharing your toys or helping other people.

More Examples

2

Her generosity towards the homeless impressed the entire town.

3

The organization depends on the generosity of its donors to continue its work.

How It's Used

Everyday Life

"The charity thanked its donors for their generosity."

Literature

"The author lauded the character's generosity towards those in need."

Social interactions

"Her generosity in sharing her resources was appreciated by all."

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

Idioms & expressions

a generous heart

A person with a kind and giving nature.

"She has a generous heart, always helping those in need."

generous to a fault

Excessively generous to the point of being detrimental or careless.

"He was generous to a fault, giving away all his money and ending up in debt."

From Latin *generōsus* ('of noble birth, generous'), from *genus* ('race, stock, kind'). The word reflects the idea of someone who is noble or of good stock, and thus, naturally inclined to be generous.

Generosity has been a valued trait throughout history, often associated with nobility and philanthropy. It appears in religious texts and classical literature as a virtue.

Memory tip

Think of "gene-rosity" – as in, kind people have good genes or are naturally predisposed to giving.

Word Origin

LanguageLatin
Original meaning

"of noble birth, generous"

demonstrate generosityacts of generosityshow generositywith great generositythe generosity ofoverwhelmed by generosity

Common misspellings

generocityjenerosity

Usage

40%Spoken
60%Written