“Not everyone in the hospital appreciated how beneficent the nurse was, but her patients always did.”
As used above, what is the best definition of beneficent?
Definition:
Beneficent (adjective) – working for or promoting the good of others; generous or charitable
Beneficence (noun) – an act or state of being beneficent
Beneficiate (noun) – one who receives good things from a benefactor
GRE pro tips:
The Latin root bene means “good” – it is the opposite of the Latin root male, which means “bad.” Examples of words derived from bene include benevolent, which means good-hearted and kind, and benign, which means harmless or gentle. Likewise, beneficent is an adjective used to describe people who do good deeds and actively care for the wellbeing of others. It is the opposite of maleficent, which is used to describe people who are hateful towards others, such as the character “Maleficent” in Sleeping Beauty.
Example sentences:
“The nurse often stayed overtime to ensure that her patients were properly cared for – she was one of the most beneficent people I had ever known.”
“To many, democracy has proven to be the most beneficent system of government.”