Generosity

Origin

From Middle French générosité

Full definition of generosity

Noun

1. (uncountable) The trait of being willing to donate money and/or time.
• 1963: Erik H. Erikson, Childhood and SocietyWe have mentioned generosity as an outstanding virtue required in Sioux life.
2. (uncountable) Acting generously.
• 2013-06-14, Jonathan Freedland, Obama's once hip brand is now tainted, 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.
3. (uncountable) The trait of being abundant, more than adequate.
4. (literally uncountable) Good breeding; nobility of stock.
5. (countable) A generous act.
• 1873: Reverend M. C. Tyler, Proceedings at the Laying of the Corner Stone of the Sage College of the Cornell UniversityMay the generosities of the founders of these halls, be rewarded by the fair and holy characters which shall be here formed....

Synonyms

• liberality
• (good breeding, noble stock) nobility

Antonyms

• stinginess