largesse

• largess

From Middle English larges, largess, largesse, from Old French largesse, largesce, largece, from Vulgar Latin *largitia, from Latin largus (“abundant, large, liberal”).

• (UK) IPA^(key): /lɑːˈd͡ʒɛs/
• (US) IPA^(key): /lɑɹˈd͡ʒɛs/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

largesse (plural largesses)

1. (uncountable) Generosity in the giving of gifts or money.

   Synonyms: benevolence, generosity, graciousness, boon

   Antonyms: niggardliness, tight fistedness

2. The gifts or money given in such a way.
   • 1846, Charles Dickens, Pictures from Italy, published 1913, page 264:

     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.

3. A benevolent demeanor.

• Glaesers, eelgrass, gearless, rageless

From Old French largesce, corresponding to large +‎ -esse.

• IPA^(key): /laʁ.ʒɛs/
• Rhymes: -ɛs

• Audio

  (file)

largesse f (plural largesses)

1. largess; financial generosity

• “largesse”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

• réglasse