largesse
Part of speech: noun
Morphological type: simple
Etymology: From Middle English larges, largess, largesse [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman largece, largesce, Middle French largece, largesce, largesse, and Old French largesce (“breadth, width; request for a monetary gift; (act of) generous giving; (chiefly in the plural) generous gift; generosity, liberality”) (in Anglo-Norman also “liberty; privilege”; modern French largesse), from large (“big, large; generous; wide”).
Inflected forms:
form: largesses
pos: noun
tags: plural
form: largess
pos: noun
tags: alternative
Senses:
gloss: The trait of being willing to donate money, resources, or time; generosity, liberality.
pos: noun
tags: uncountable
examples: There is no creature impure or vncleane, yf the conſcience of hym that vſeth it be pure and cleane. And albeit there were any impuritie in the meate, yet with himnes wherwith the larges of god is prayſed before meate and with holy wordes and prayers it ſhoulde be made holy and pure, that before was vncleane.
But vvhere the Plea of the Receivers is equal, and yet the Diſpenſation of the Benefits vaſtly unequal, there Men are taught that the thing received is Grace; and that they have no claim to it, but the courteſy of the Diſpenſer, and the largeſs of Heaven; vvhich cannot be queſtion'd, […]
But the dynasty of the Gothic king is in equity and compassion, and his arithmetic is in largesse.
He [Gabriel Matzneff] was invited to the Élysée Palace by President François Mitterrand and socialized with the far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen. He benefited from the largess of the fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent and his partner, the business tycoon Pierre Bergé.
gloss: Often preceded by do, give, or make: the generous or liberal giving of gifts or money, especially by someone of high standing on a special occasion; also, excessive or wasteful giving.
pos: noun
tags: uncountable
examples: In such case, certainly I would accept / Your bounty: better I than alien hearts / Should execute your planned benevolence / To man, your proposed largess to the Church.
gloss: Money, etc., given in this way.
pos: noun
tags: uncountable
examples: [F]or our coffers vvith too great a court, / And liberall larges are grovven ſomevvhat light, / VVe are inforſt to farm our royall Realme, / The reuenevv vvhereof ſhall furniſh vs, / For our affaires in hand […]
Yet half mankind maintain a churliſh ſtrife / VVith him, the donor of eternal life, / Becauſe the deed by vvhich his love confirms / The largeſs he beſtovvs, preſcribes the terms.
The procession was brought to a close, by some dozen indomitable warriors of different nations, riding two and two, and haughtily surveying the tame population of Modena: among whom, however, they occasionally condescended to scatter largesse in the form of a few handbills.
Largesse, in the form of odds and ends of cold cream and pomatum, and also of hairpins, was freely distributed among the attendants.
gloss: Abundance of something (chiefly beneficial), regarded as having been given generously.
pos: noun
tags: figuratively
uncountable
examples: The man to ſolitude accuſtomed long, / Perceives in every thing that lives a tongue; / […] / After long drought, vvhen rains abundant fall, / He hears the herbs and flovvers rejoicing all: / Knovvs vvhat the freſhneſs of their hue implies, / Hovv glad they catch the largeſs of the skies; […]
I have not lacked thy mild reproof, / Nor golden largess of thy praise, / But life is full of weary days.
The effect on the company of this wholly unexpected act of grace - largesse of beer from a curate - was electrifying.
During this period of economic uncertainty, when our standard of living — formerly based upon a larger share of global largesse than we're entitled to — has begun to fall, political and economic hysteria is on the rise.
gloss: Chiefly in the form at one's largesse: freedom or liberty to act.
pos: noun
tags: obsolete
uncountable
examples: This captaine then falling in companie vvith a knot of Caualieros, and diſcourſing of the largeſſe & liberty, vvhich ſouldiers enjoy in Italie, in a certaine demand, vvhich one of them made him, he gaue him the you becauſe he vvas native of that place, and the ſonne of meane parents, born in a village of ſome fevv houſes: […]
gloss: An act of donating or giving generously.
pos: noun
tags: countable
examples: So theſe loſing the true glory of virtue vvhich every one ought to have, flie to that vvhich depends upon complaiſance vvith others, courting vulgar applauſe vvith Largeſſes and feaſts.
gloss: A specific gift of money, etc., given in this way, specifically (historical) at harvest time; a donation, a gratuity.
pos: noun
tags: also
countable
figuratively
examples: Giue gloues to thy reapers, a larges to crie, / And dailie to loiterers haue a good eie.
Then to our Pallace / Paſſe on in ſtate, let all raryeties / Showre downe from heauen a lardges, that theſe bridals / May exceede mortall pompe.
[T]here vvas good hope that the ſouldiers ſhould have a largeſs dealt amongſt them out of the Kings Treaſure, and be under the command of Captains of better quality, […]
[…] I vvould give them three Days, provided, they vvere vvilling to give the Men a Largeſs, as I had done, in Proportion to their Gain.
And he, their courtesy to requite, / Gave them a chain of twelve marks weight, / All as he lighted down. / "Now largesse, largesse, Lord Marmion, / Knight of the crest of gold! / A blazon'd shield, in battle won, / Ne'er guarded heart so bold."— […]
Translations:
lang: Finnish
word: lahjaraha
lang: Latin
word: largītiō
lang: Czech
word: dar
lang: Dutch
word: gulle giften
lang: Finnish
word: lahja
lang: French
word: largesses
lang: Italian
word: elargizione
lang: Macedonian
word: по́дарок
roman: pódarok
lang: Māori
word: whakahiku