definition of beneficence
Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Legal, Wikipedia. beneficence. the doing of active goodness, kindness, or charity, including all actions intended to benefit others. It is contrasted to benevolence, which refers to the character trait or moral virtue of being disposed to act for the benefit of others. In bioethics, the principle of beneficence refers to a moral obligation to act for the benefit of others. Not all acts of beneficence are obligatory, but a principle of beneficence asserts an obligation to help others further their interests.