1. Disposition to do good, a desire to promote the happiness of others; kindness, generosity, charitable feeling as a general disposition towards mankind at large: The benevolence of the musicians' union was seen in the generous number of free musical instruments the members gave to the community's music school.
2. An expression of goodwill, an act of kindness; a gift or grant of money; a contribution for the support of the poor: The widow gave a generous benevolence to the community library in memory of her late husband who had been an author and had also donated many books to that library.