Etymology of the English word benevolent
the English word
benevolentderived from the Latin word
benevolens (friend, well-wisher, kind-heart; kind, friendly, benevolent)
derived from the Latin word
bene (well, very, quite)
derived from the Proto-Indo-European root
*deu-derived from the Latin word
volens (willing, welcome)
derived from the Classical Latin word
velle (wish, want, prefer)
derived from the Proto-Indo-European root
*wel-Date
The earliest known usage of benevolent in English dates from the 15th century.
Usage
Word found in Modern English
