largesse

Noun

1. The trait of being willing to donate money, resources, or time; generosity, liberality.
   • 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...
   • 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...
   • But the dynasty of the Gothic king is in equity and compassion, and his arithmetic is in largesse. - 1873, John Ruskin, “Franchise”, in Val d’Arno: Ten Lectures on the Tuscan Art Directly Antecedent to the Florentine...

   Synonyms: benevolence munificence

   Antonyms: miserliness niggardliness stinginess tightfistedness

2. 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.
   • 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. - 1873 January 23, Robert Browning, “Part IV”, in...
3. Money, etc., given in this way.
   • [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 […] - 1595...
   • 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. - 1782, William Cowper, “Hope”, in...
   • 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...
4. Abundance of something (chiefly beneficial), regarded as having been given generously.
   • 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...
   • I have not lacked thy mild reproof, / Nor golden largess of thy praise, / But life is full of weary days. - 1832 December (indicated as 1833), Alfred Tennyson, “To ——”, in Poems, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, stanza...
   • The effect on the company of this wholly unexpected act of grace - largesse of beer from a curate - was electrifying. - 1913, Norman Lindsay, A Curate in Bohemia, Sydney: N.S.W. Bookstall Co., published 1932, page 18:

   Synonyms: bounty

5. Chiefly in the form at one's largesse: freedom or liberty to act.
   • 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...
6. An act of donating or giving generously.
   • 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. - 1655, Thomas Stanley,...
7. A specific gift of money, etc., given in this way, specifically (historical) at harvest time; a donation, a gratuity.
   • Giue gloues to thy reapers, a larges to crie, / And dailie to loiterers haue a good eie. - 1878, Thomas Tusser, “Augusts Husbandrie”, in Five Hundred Pointes of Good Husbandrie. […], London: Published for the English...
   • Then to our Pallace / Paſſe on in ſtate, let all raryeties / Showre downe from heauen a lardges, that theſe bridals / May exceede mortall pompe. - 1611, Thomas Heywood, “The Golden Age: Or The Liues of Jupiter and...
   • [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, […] - 1659, T[itus] Livius [i.e., Livy], “[Book...