generous

UK: /ˈdʒɛn^ərəs/ US: /ˈdʒɛnərəs/ ,( jen′ər əs)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

gen•er•ous /ˈdʒɛnərəs/   adj. 

1. free in giving or sharing;
   unselfish:
   generous with his money.
2. free from meanness or pettiness:
   a generous attitude.
3. large;
   abundant;
   ample:
   a generous portion of pie.

gen•er•ous•ly, adv. 

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

gen•er•ous  ( jen′ər əs), adj. 

1. liberal in giving or sharing;
   unselfish:
   a generous patron of the arts; a generous gift.
2. free from meanness or smallness of mind or character;
   magnanimous.
3. large;
   abundant;
   ample:
   a generous portion of pie.
4. rich or strong in flavor:
   a generous wine.
5. fertile;
   prolific:
   generous soil.

• Latin generōsus of noble birth, equivalent. to gener- (see gender²) + -ōsus -ous
• Middle French généreux
• 1580–90

gen′er•ous•ly, adv. 
gen′er•ous•ness, n. 
Synonyms

• 1. open-handed, free, unstinting.
  Generous, charitable, liberal, bountiful, munificent all describe persons who give to others something of value, or the acts of such persons.
  Generous stresses the warm and sympathetic nature of the giver:
  a generous gift; generous in praise of the work of others.
  Charitable places stress on both the goodness and kindness of the giver and the indigence or need of the receiver:
  charitable assistance to the needy; a charitable person, always willing to help those less fortunate than herself.
  Liberal, in this connection, emphasizes the size of the gift, the largesse and openhandedness of the giver:
  a liberal contribution to the endowment fund.
  Bountiful implies effusive, unstinted giving and a sense of abundance or plenty:
  bountiful and unrestricted support for the museum; a bountiful return for his efforts.
  Munificent refers to gifts or awards so large and striking as to evoke amazement or admiration:
  a life income, a truly munificent reward for his loyalty; a munificent contribution, larger by far than any other.
• 2. high-minded, noble, big.
• 3. plentiful, copious.
• 5. fruitful.

Antonyms

• 1. selfish.
• 2. mean.
• 3. meager.
• 5. barren.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

generous / ˈdʒɛnərəs ˈdʒɛnrəs/ adjective

1. willing and liberal in giving away one's money, time, etc; munificent
2. free from pettiness in character and mind
3. full or plentiful: a generous portion
4. (of wine) rich in alcohol

Etymology: 16th Century: via Old French from Latin generōsus nobly born, from genus race; see genus

ˈgenerously adverb

ˈgenerousness noun