Word of the Day: Benevolent

be·nev·o·lent /bəˈnevələnt/, adjective: 1. having a kind and generous disposition “A good commander is benevolent and unconcerned with fame.” Sun Tzu, 544 BCE – 496 BCE “But friendship is precious, not only in the shade, but in the sunshine of life, and thanks to a benevolent arrangement the greater part of life is sunshine.” Thomas Jefferson, 1743 – 1826 “To feel much for others and little for ourselves; to restrain our selfishness and exercise our benevolent affections, constitute the perfection of human nature.” Adam Smith, 1790 – 1823 2. (of an organization) serving a charitable rather than a profit-making purpose example: The Wakefield Lodge #1276 Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks donated over 400 dictionaries this year to students in North Reading and Lynnfield School Districts.