munificent

adjective

mu·nif·i·cent myu̇-ˈni-fə-sənt

Synonyms of munificent

: very liberal in giving or bestowing (see bestow sense 4) : lavish

munificent donors

: characterized by great liberality or generosity

a munificent gift

munificence

myu̇-ˈni-fə-sən(t)s

noun

munificently adverb

Did you know?

Munificent was formed back in the late 1500s when English speakers, perhaps inspired by similar words such as magnificent, altered the ending of munificence. Munificence in turn comes from munificus, the Latin word for "generous," which itself comes from munus, a Latin noun that is variously translated as "gift," "duty," or "service." Munus has done a fine service to English by giving us other terms related to service or compensation, including municipal and remunerate.

Choose the Right Synonym for munificent

liberal, generous, bountiful, munificent mean giving or given freely and unstintingly.

liberal suggests openhandedness in the giver and largeness in the thing or amount given.

a teacher liberal with her praise

generous stresses warmhearted readiness to give more than size or importance of the gift.

a generous offer of help

bountiful suggests lavish, unremitting giving or providing.

children spoiled by bountiful presents

munificent suggests a scale of giving appropriate to lords or princes.

a munificent foundation grant

Examples of munificent in a Sentence

a munificent host who has presided over many charitable events at his mansion

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

The white middle class absconded to the suburbs in droves, seriously depleting a once munificent tax base. —Evan Kindley, The New Republic, 1 Aug. 2023 Testing these munificent vehicles took us not only to DaimlerChrysler's proving grounds but also to our beloved collection of paved curves, whoop-de-dos, and foot-to-the-floor straightaways in southeastern Ohio's Hocking Hills. —Don Schroeder, Car and Driver, 3 Jan. 2023