Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Of, relating to, or dependent on charity. synonym: benevolent.
from The Century Dictionary.
- Of or pertaining to alms; derived from or provided by charity; charitable: as, an eleemosynary fund; an eleemosynary hospital.
- Relating to charitable donations; intended for the distribution of alms, or for the use and management of donations and bequests, whether for the subsistence of the poor or for the conferring of any gratuitous benefit.
- Dependent upon charity; receiving charitable aid or support: as, the eleemosynary poor.
- noun One who subsists on charity; one who lives by receiving alms.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adjective Relating to charity, alms, or almsgiving; intended for the distribution of charity.
- adjective Given in charity or alms; having the nature of alms.
- adjective Supported by charity.
- noun One who subsists on charity; a dependent.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective Relating to
charity ,alms , or almsgiving. - adjective Given in charity or alms; having the nature of alms; as, eleemosynary assistance.
- adjective Supported by charity; as, eleemosynary poor.
- noun obsolete A
beggar
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adjective generous in assistance to the poor
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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Yesterday's term was eleemosynary, which is defined as:
Define That Term #2! 2006
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Also "eleemosynary", though not in the same sentence.
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An eighth-grade pupil at Jordan School, Clapp became champion by correctly spelling "eleemosynary" and "herbaceous."
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Fortunately, it only took me a few seconds to come to my senses and my better, more eleemosynary angels to take over.
Every Hill Deserves a Name Ralph Gardner Jr. 2011
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But here again a great swath of Americans whose sense of personal identity and pride was tied to their eleemosynary activities in their communities are now bereft of even this intrinsically important part of their lives.
Raymond J. Learsy: Krugman Takes On the Angry Rich But Misses Their Pompous Pieties 2010
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But here again a great swath of Americans whose sense of personal identity and pride was tied to their eleemosynary activities in their communities are now bereft of even this intrinsically important part of their lives.
Raymond J. Learsy: Krugman Takes On the Angry Rich But Misses Their Pompous Pieties 2010
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He was a business visionary; she was an eleemosynary visionary.
We Remember - Isabelle Charlotte Weinstein Goldenson, 1921 - 2005 2010
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But here again a great swath of Americans whose sense of personal identity and pride was tied to their eleemosynary activities in their communities are now bereft of even this intrinsically important part of their lives.
Raymond J. Learsy: Krugman Takes On the Angry Rich But Misses Their Pompous Pieties 2010
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• Let's start with our eleemosynary friends at Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase and Morgan Stanley, whose CEOs testified before a bi-partisan Congressional Committee on the financial crisis last week.
Adam Hanft: The Haiti Tragedy: Why Is There Digital Silence? 2010
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But here again a great swath of Americans whose sense of personal identity and pride was tied to their eleemosynary activities in their communities are now bereft of even this intrinsically important part of their lives.
Raymond J. Learsy: Krugman Takes On the Angry Rich But Misses Their Pompous Pieties 2010
seanmeade commented on the word eleemosynary
charity, alms, pity
and a play by Lee Blessing
April 6, 2007
grammar commented on the word eleemosynary
I first saw this word when researching charitable immunity in the Georgia Code.
May 22, 2007
seanahan commented on the word eleemosynary
This is a hell of a word. It really does take all 6 syllables.
July 8, 2007
knitandpurl commented on the word eleemosynary
'An author,' says Fielding, in his introduction to 'Tom Jones,' 'ought to consider himself, not as a gentleman who gives a private or eleemosynary treat, but rather as one who keeps a public ordinary, at which all persons are welcome for their money. Men who pay for what they eat, will insist on gratifying their palates, however nice and whimsical these may prove; and if everything is not agreeable to their taste, will challenge a right to censure, to abuse, and to damn their dinner without control.'
-- from the Preface to the Original Edition of 'The Old Curiosity Shop,' 1841
November 12, 2007
yarb commented on the word eleemosynary
Yesterday Ambrose, while picking up eleemosynary at Cuença, stumbled upon one of our whining sisterhood...
- Lesage, The Adventures of Gil Blas of Santillane, tr. Smollett, bk 5 ch. 1
September 19, 2008
chained_bear commented on the word eleemosynary
"Gates had started working for Rockefeller as a philanthropic adviser, but nothing limited him to eleemosynary concerns. He organized several Rockefeller business ventures..."
—John M. Barry, The Great Influenza (NY: Penguin Books, 2004), 72
February 11, 2009
benw commented on the word eleemosynary
What's wrong with charitable?
December 26, 2010
fbharjo commented on the word eleemosynary
give heart!
too almish?
November 7, 2013