| Word | largesse |
|---|---|
| Date | February 1, 2019 |
| Type | noun |
| Syllables | lahr-ZHESS |
| Etymology | The word largesse, which also can be spelled largess, has been part of the English language since at least the 13th century. It derives via Anglo-French from the Latin word largus, meaning "abundant" or "generous." Largus is also the source of our word large. As far back as the 14th century, we used the word largeness as a synonym of largesse (meaning "liberal giving"), but largeness was also at that same time being used more frequently as it is now: to refer to physical magnitude and bulk rather than to magnanimity. |
| Examples | Thanks to their grandparents' largesse, both children were able to go to college without going into debt. "Probably no surprise, given all this largesse over the Christmas period, spending at recycling and refuse stations was up 46.2 per cent on Boxing Day last year." — The New Zealand Herald, 28 Dec. 2018 |
| Definition | 1 : liberal giving (as of money) to or as if to an inferior; also : something so given 2 : generosity |
Tags: wordoftheday::noun
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