Definitions

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

  • adjective Liberal in giving or sharing. synonym: liberal.
  • adjective Showing kindness and magnanimity.
  • adjective Marked by abundance; ample.
  • adjective Having a rich bouquet and flavor.
  • adjective Obsolete Of noble lineage.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Being of noble or honorable birth or origin; well-born.
  • Possessed of or showing blood or breeding; spirited; courageous; thoroughbred.
  • Noble in character or quality; honorable; magnanimous.
  • Liberal; bountiful; munificent: as, a generous giver or gift.
  • Strong; full of spirit: as, generous wine.
  • Full; overflowing; abundant: as, a generous cup; a generous table.
  • Synonyms Magnanimous, etc. (see noble); high-minded.
  • Open-handed; free-handed.

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

  • adjective obsolete Of honorable birth or origin; highborn.
  • adjective Exhibiting those qualities which are popularly reregarded as belonging to high birth; noble; honorable; magnanimous; spirited; courageous.
  • adjective Open-handed; free to give; not close or niggardly; munificent.
  • adjective Characterized by generosity; abundant; overflowing.
  • adjective Full of spirit or strength; stimulating; exalting.

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

  • adjective more than adequate
  • adjective not petty in character and mind
  • adjective willing to give and share unstintingly

Etymologies

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

[French genereux, of noble birth, magnanimous, from Latin generōsus, from genus, gener-, birth; see genə- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle French genereux, and its source, Latin generōsus ("of noble birth"), from genus ("race, stock").

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