largesse

largesse
noun

variants or less commonly largess
Synonyms of largesse
1
: liberal giving (as of money) to or as if to an inferior
a philanthropist known for his largesse
also : something so given
projects depending on a flow of federal largesse
2
: generosity
his generosity of spirit, an absolutely natural largesse
—Harvey Breit


Did you know?
The word largesse, which also can be spelled largess, comes from Anglo-French large, meaning "generous."

Synonyms
gift
contribution
bestowal
grant
presentation
present
Examples of largesse in a Sentence
He relied on the largesse of friends after he lost his job.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
There seems to be not a thing in the revival of Mount Vernon, Ohio — which has so obviously gotten off the canvas to fight another round — that the largesse of Karen Wright, personally and then also through the Ariel Foundation, has not underwritten and guided.
—Jack Fowler, National Review, 4 July 2025
Its opening drew more than 10,000 visitors in its first 24 hours, and admission for the first decade of operation was made free thanks to the financial largesse of Newport Beach’s Lugano Diamonds.
—Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 16 June 2025
The network books approximately $35 million in advertising revenue during the afternoon, thanks to the largesse of sponsors such as Woodford Reserve, Ford and White Claw.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 29 Apr. 2025
In his later years, Mitchell spent some of his largesse on the pursuits of his youth, including astronomy and astrophysics.
—ArsTechnica, 11 Apr. 2025

Word History
Etymology
Middle English largesse, from Anglo-French, from large

First Known Use
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of largesse was in the 13th century
See more words from the same century