Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Of, relating to, or dependent on charity. synonym: benevolent.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Of or pertaining to alms; derived from or provided by charity; charitable: as, an eleemosynary fund; an eleemosynary hospital.
  • Relating to charitable donations; intended for the distribution of alms, or for the use and management of donations and bequests, whether for the subsistence of the poor or for the conferring of any gratuitous benefit.
  • Dependent upon charity; receiving charitable aid or support: as, the eleemosynary poor.
  • noun One who subsists on charity; one who lives by receiving alms.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Relating to charity, alms, or almsgiving; intended for the distribution of charity.
  • adjective Given in charity or alms; having the nature of alms.
  • adjective Supported by charity.
  • noun One who subsists on charity; a dependent.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Relating to charity, alms, or almsgiving.
  • adjective Given in charity or alms; having the nature of alms; as, eleemosynary assistance.
  • adjective Supported by charity; as, eleemosynary poor.
  • noun obsolete A beggar

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective generous in assistance to the poor

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Medieval Latin eleēmosynārius, from Late Latin eleēmosyna, alms; see alms.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Medieval Latin eleemosynarius ("alms dispenser"), from Late Latin eleemosyna ("alms"), from Ancient Greek ἐλεημοσύνη (eleēmosynē, "alms"), from ἐλεέω (eleëō, "I have mercy"), from ἔλεος (eleos, "pity").

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Examples

Comments

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  • charity, alms, pity

    and a play by Lee Blessing

    April 6, 2007

  • I first saw this word when researching charitable immunity in the Georgia Code.

    May 22, 2007

  • This is a hell of a word. It really does take all 6 syllables.

    July 8, 2007

  • 'An author,' says Fielding, in his introduction to 'Tom Jones,' 'ought to consider himself, not as a gentleman who gives a private or eleemosynary treat, but rather as one who keeps a public ordinary, at which all persons are welcome for their money. Men who pay for what they eat, will insist on gratifying their palates, however nice and whimsical these may prove; and if everything is not agreeable to their taste, will challenge a right to censure, to abuse, and to damn their dinner without control.'

    -- from the Preface to the Original Edition of 'The Old Curiosity Shop,' 1841

    November 12, 2007

  • Yesterday Ambrose, while picking up eleemosynary at Cuença, stumbled upon one of our whining sisterhood...

    - Lesage, The Adventures of Gil Blas of Santillane, tr. Smollett, bk 5 ch. 1

    September 19, 2008

  • "Gates had started working for Rockefeller as a philanthropic adviser, but nothing limited him to eleemosynary concerns. He organized several Rockefeller business ventures..."

    —John M. Barry, The Great Influenza (NY: Penguin Books, 2004), 72

    February 11, 2009

  • What's wrong with charitable?

    December 26, 2010

  • give heart!
    too almish?

    November 7, 2013