munificent
adjective
mu·nif·i·cent myu̇-ˈni-fə-sənt 
1
: very liberal in giving or bestowing (see bestow sense 4) : lavish
munificent donors
2
: 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.
Synonyms
- bighearted
- bounteous
- bountiful
- charitable
- free
- freehanded
- freehearted
- fulsome
- generous
- liberal
- open
- openhanded
- unselfish
- unsparing
- unstinting
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
a munificent host who has presided over many charitable events at his mansion
Recent Examples on the Web But even these munificent gifts were dwarfed by other contributions, often from unknown donors. 
Katherine Stewart, The New Republic, 11 July 2022 More significantly, Rolling Stone wrote a critical piece about country singer Morgan Wallen, reminiscent of Washington Post reporter David Fahrenthold’s Pulitzer-winning investigations of Donald Trump’s claims of his munificent charitable donations. Washington Post, 17 Oct. 2021 Like many startups, print-on-demand companies tend to coat themselves in munificent techno-marketing clichés. Roger Sollenberger, Wired, 16 Mar. 2020 Second is the munificent flow of remittances from millions of expat V4 citizens who now live and work in the EU, especially in Germany, Austria or Britain. The Economist, 24 Oct. 2019 Where to eat La Nueva España, a casual lunch counter off Broadway, is one of Inwood’s many Dominican restaurants with hearty food and munificent portions. New York Times, 21 Aug. 2019 GateHouse’s approach to its newspapers in recent years has made Gannett look almost munificent by contrast. Washington Post, 16 Aug. 2019 The best song Oscars category has always been a curious creature, a mash-up of hits, snoozers and misfires, and a munificent source of Academy Awards moments that can astonish, or bore, or mortify. Cara Buckley, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2018 Summing up his desire to give a voice to the marginalized and overlooked, the munificent director even ponies up for an electric larynx when one of the brothers is rendered mute after an operation. Neil Young, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Sep. 2017 See More
Katherine Stewart, The New Republic, 11 July 2022 More significantly, Rolling Stone wrote a critical piece about country singer Morgan Wallen, reminiscent of Washington Post reporter David Fahrenthold’s Pulitzer-winning investigations of Donald Trump’s claims of his munificent charitable donations. Washington Post, 17 Oct. 2021 Like many startups, print-on-demand companies tend to coat themselves in munificent techno-marketing clichés. Roger Sollenberger, Wired, 16 Mar. 2020 Second is the munificent flow of remittances from millions of expat V4 citizens who now live and work in the EU, especially in Germany, Austria or Britain. The Economist, 24 Oct. 2019 Where to eat La Nueva España, a casual lunch counter off Broadway, is one of Inwood’s many Dominican restaurants with hearty food and munificent portions. New York Times, 21 Aug. 2019 GateHouse’s approach to its newspapers in recent years has made Gannett look almost munificent by contrast. Washington Post, 16 Aug. 2019 The best song Oscars category has always been a curious creature, a mash-up of hits, snoozers and misfires, and a munificent source of Academy Awards moments that can astonish, or bore, or mortify. Cara Buckley, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2018 Summing up his desire to give a voice to the marginalized and overlooked, the munificent director even ponies up for an electric larynx when one of the brothers is rendered mute after an operation. Neil Young, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Sep. 2017 See More Word History
Etymology
back-formation from munificence, from Latin munificentia, from munificus generous, from munus service, gift — more at mean
First Known Use
1565, in the meaning defined at sense 1
munificently
adverb
as in generously
in a generous manner has shared her wealth munificently on countless occasions Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- generously
- bounteously
- bountifully
- cheerfully
- kindly
- well
- handsomely
- thoughtfully
- liberally
- lavishly
- nicely
- unstintingly
- amply
- reasonably
- hospitably
- considerately
- openhandedly
- sweetly
- graciously
- freehandedly
- freeheartedly
- beneficently
- ungrudgingly
- genially
- congenially
- philanthropically
- unselfishly
- benevolently
- courteously
- selflessly
- cordially
- amiably
- magnanimously
- cheerily
- charitably
- affably
- friendlily
- altruistically
- good-naturedly
- good-heartedly
- humanely
- bigheartedly
- kindheartedly
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- parsimoniously
- ungenerously
- contemptuously
- rudely
- stingily
- disdainfully
- coolly
- scornfully
- coldly
- cooly
- provocatively
- obnoxiously
- grudgingly
- angrily
- hostilely
- belligerently
- begrudgingly
- frigidly
- the clock
- the cloth
- the Coast
- the coast is clear
- the cognoscenti
- the cold
- the cold shoulder
- the Cold War
- The Colony
- the color drained from someone's face
- the comics
- the common touch
- the Commons
- the commonwealth
- the Commonwealth
- the competition
- the conditional
- the confederacy
- the Continent
- the contrary
- the converse
- the cool
- the cooler
- the corridors of power
- the corridors/halls of power