largess

Noun

largesse (plural largesses)

1. (uncountable) The trait of being willing to donate money, resources, or time; generosity, liberality.
   • There is no creature impure or vncleane, yf the conſcience of hym that vſeth it be pure and cleane. And albeit there were any impuritie in the meate, yet with himnes wherwith the larges of god is prayſed before meate and with holy wordes and prayers it ſhoulde be made holy and pure, that before was...1549 February 10 (Gregorian calendar; indicated as 1548), Erasmus, “The Paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the Fyrst Epistle of S. Paule The Apostle to Timothee. The .iiii. Chapter.”, in Nicolas Udall [i.e....

   Synonyms:

   benevolence, munificence

   Antonyms:

   miserliness, niggardliness, stinginess, tightfistedness

2. (uncountable) Often preceded by do, give, or make: the generous or liberal giving of gifts or money, especially by someone of high standing on a special occasion; also, excessive or wasteful giving.
   • In such case, certainly I would accept / Your bounty: better I than alien hearts / Should execute your planned benevolence / To man, your proposed largess to the Church.1873 January 23, Robert Browning, “Part IV”, in Red Cotton Night-Cap Country: Or Turf and Towers, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLC, page 256
3. (uncountable) Money, etc., given in this way.
   • [F]or our coffers vvith too great a court, / And liberall larges are grovven ſomevvhat light, / VVe are inforſt to farm our royall Realme, / The reuenevv vvhereof ſhall furniſh vs, / For our affaires in hand […]1595 December 9 (first known performance), [William Shakespeare], The Tragedie of King Richard the Second. […] (First Quarto), London: […] Valentine Simmes for Androw Wise, […], published 1597...
4. (figuratively, uncountable) Abundance of something (chiefly beneficial), regarded as having been given generously.
   • The man to ſolitude accuſtomed long, / Perceives in every thing that lives a tongue; / […] / After long drought, vvhen rains abundant fall, / He hears the herbs and flovvers rejoicing all: / Knovvs vvhat the freſhneſs of their hue implies, / Hovv glad they catch the largeſs of the skies; […]1785, William Cowper, “The Needless Alarm. A Tale.”, in Poems […], London: […] [F]or J[oseph] Johnson, […] by T[homas] Bensley, […], published 1806, →OCLC, page 570

   Synonyms:

   bounty

5. (obsolete, uncountable) Chiefly in the form at one's largesse: freedom or liberty to act.
   • This captaine then falling in companie vvith a knot of Caualieros, and diſcourſing of the largeſſe & liberty, vvhich ſouldiers enjoy in Italie, in a certaine demand, vvhich one of them made him, he gaue him the you becauſe he vvas native of that place, and the ſonne of meane parents, born in a...Rocío G. Sumillera, editor (2014), The Examination of Men’s Wits (MHRA Tudor & Stuart Translations; 17), London: Modern Humanities Research Association, →ISBN, footnote 153, page 247
6. (countable) An act of donating or giving generously.
   • So theſe loſing the true glory of virtue vvhich every one ought to have, flie to that vvhich depends upon complaiſance vvith others, courting vulgar applauſe vvith Largeſſes and feaſts.1655, Thomas Stanley, “[Socrates.]”, in The History of Philosophy. […], volume I, London: […] Humphrey Moseley, and Thomas Dring, […], →OCLC, 3rd part (Containing the Socratick Philosophers)...

See all 7 meanings of largesse