different between munificent vs magnificent

English

Etymology

Back-formation from munificence, from Latin m?nificentia.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, US) IPA^(key): /mju?n?f?sn?t/

Adjective

munificent (comparative more munificent, superlative most munificent)

1. (of a person or group) Very liberal in giving or bestowing.
   • 1859, Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities, ch. 30:

     Tellson's Bank . . . was a munificent house, and extended great liberality to old customers who had fallen from their high estate.

   • 1974 April 8, "Politics: Milkmen Skimming Off More Cream," Time (retrieved 5 Sept 2013):

     [M]ilk producers are among the most munificent backers of political campaigns in the U.S.

   • 2008 March 20, Martin Filler, "Broad-Minded Museum," New York Review of Books (retrieved 5 Sept 2013):

     An exceptionally munificent benefactor of several institutions, he has given $100 million each to MIT and Harvard.

2. (of a gift, donation, etc.) Very generous; lavish.
   • 1886, Louisa May Alcott, Jo's Boys, ch. 1:

     On the hill, where kites used to be flown, stood the fine college which Mr Laurence's munificent legacy had built.

   • 1914, William MacLeod Raine, A Daughter of the Dons, ch. 25:

     It was all very well for this casual youth to make her a present of a half million acres of land in this debonair way, but she could not persuade herself to accept so munificent a gift.

   • 1969 April 11, "Business: Up, Up and Away with Wages," Time (retrieved 5 Sept 2013):

     The machinists finally agreed to a munificent increase averaging 5.7% a year for three years.

Synonyms

• bounteous, generous, liberal

Derived terms

• munificently

Related terms

Translations

Dutch

Etymology

From Latin munificus, munificens (“liberal”), from munus (“gift”) + facio (“I make”).

Adjective

munificent (comparative munificenter, superlative munificentst)

1. generous

Inflection

Synonyms

• (generous): genereus, gul, goedgeefs, vrijgevig, royaal

Romanian

Etymology

From French munificent

Adjective

munificent m or n (feminine singular munificent?, masculine plural munificen?i, feminine and neuter plural munificente)

1. munificent

Declension

English

Etymology

From Middle French magnificent, from Latin magnificentior, comparative of magnificus (“great in deeds or sentiment, noble, splendid, etc.”), from magnus (“great”) + -ficens, a form of -ficiens, the regular form, in compounds, of faciens, a participle of facere (“to do”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mæ??n?f?s?nt/
• Hyphenation: mag?nif?i?cent

Adjective

magnificent (comparative more magnificent, superlative most magnificent)

1. Grand, elegant or splendid in appearance.
2. Grand or noble in action.
3. Exceptional for its kind.

Derived terms

• magnificently
• magnificent frigatebird

Related terms

• magnificence
• beneficent
• maleficent
• munificent

Translations

Further reading

• magnificent in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• magnificent in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• magnificent at OneLook Dictionary Search

Latin

Verb

magnificent

1. third-person plural present active subjunctive of magnific?