magnanimous

adjective

mag·nan·i·mous mag-ˈna-nə-məs

Synonyms of magnanimous next

: showing or suggesting a lofty and courageous spirit

the irreproachable lives and magnanimous sufferings of their followers—

Joseph Addison

: showing or suggesting nobility of feeling and generosity of mind

too sincere for dissimulation, too magnanimous for resentment—

Ellen Glasgow

magnanimously adverb

magnanimousness noun

Did you know?

When you see anima, animus, or a similar formation in a word, it’s often an indicator of something alive, lively, or spirited. Something described as animated is full of life, for example, and the word animal refers to a living thing. The Latin word anima means “breath” or “soul” and animus means “spirit.” In magnanimous, animus is joined by the Latin word magnus, meaning “great.” Basically meaning “greatness of spirit,” magnanimity is the opposite of selfishness. A truly magnanimous person can lose without complaining and win without gloating, and angry disputes can sometimes be resolved when one side makes a magnanimous gesture toward the other.

Examples of magnanimous in a Sentence

"No problem," I dismissed his concerns with a magnanimous flick of the wrist. —

Tom Perrotta, Joe College, 2000

… and many of them retain a respectful Eisenhower-or-Kennedy-era view of America as Japan's usually magnanimous elder brother. —

James Fallows, Atlantic, August 1989

… with the off-duty cops downing them as fast as he could pour, Leery could afford to be magnanimous and play the jukebox for the boys and girls. —

Joseph Wambaugh, The Delta Star, 1983

Levesque was magnanimous in victory, immediately reassuring English-speaking Quebecers that they were still welcome in the province, an integral part of its history. —

Mordecai Richler, Atlantic, June 1983

She was too magnanimous to resent all the things others had said to her. a magnanimous donation to the town's animal shelter

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Can Israel now rise to the wisdom of being magnanimous in victory? —

Max Rodenbeck, TIME, 17 Jan. 2025 The Queen’s singular importance—constitutional, historical, psychological—is the subject of Brown’s book, which, like an earlier book on her younger sister, Princess Margaret, depicts the monumental figure at its center with magnanimous levity. —

Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2024 Trump’s public personality is as abrasive as Reagan’s was genial, as vindictive as Reagan’s was magnanimous. —

Niall Ferguson, Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025 In a video posted to TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, Parton announced the casting call and explained the auditioning process as clips from all stages of her magnanimous career played. —

Rachel Raposas, People.com, 5 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for magnanimous