Largesse

/lɑːrˈʒes/

nounmediumCommonGeneral

Definitions

1

The generous bestowal of gifts or money; liberality in giving.

/lɑːrˈʒes/

nounpositivemedium
General

Generosity in bestowing money or gifts upon others.

The wealthy philanthropist was known for his incredible largesse, funding numerous art projects.

💡 Simply: Imagine your favorite celebrity giving away tons of free stuff to fans – concerts, free meet and greets, or even a fancy car! When someone is generous with their gifts and is very giving, that's largesse. It's like, 'Wow, what a generous gift! That's some serious largesse! '

👶 For kids: Being super generous and giving presents or money to people.

More Examples

2

Her largesse towards her employees was evident in the generous bonuses she offered.

3

The city's largesse in providing resources helped the community thrive.

How It's Used

Financial/Philanthropic

"The company's largesse supported numerous charitable organizations."

Historical

"The king's largesse was legendary, granting favors and wealth to his loyal subjects."

Idioms & expressions

bestow largesse

To give gifts or money generously.

"The benefactor was known to bestow his largesse upon deserving causes."

From Old French *largesse*, from Latin *largus* ('abundant, plentiful'). It entered the English language in the late 14th century.

The term was commonly used in medieval literature to describe acts of generosity and patronage.

Memory tip

Think of a large chest filled with 'esse' - gifts to be given. Largesse: generously giving!

largesslargesselargesse

Usage

20%Spoken
80%Written