Magnanimous

Generous and free from resentment when dealing with a rival, critic, or defeated opponent.

Reach for it when praising someone who uses an advantage with fairness and generosity

The magnanimous winner praised the preparation of every finalist.

• playful

  sporting

  for fair and gracious conduct in competition

  not when Sporting is informal, somewhat British, and too narrow outside competitive settings.

• warm

  big-hearted

  for approachable praise of emotional generosity

  not when Big-hearted is informal and less precise about conduct in rivalry or victory.

• warm

  forgiving

  when releasing resentment after a specific wrong is central

  not when Forgiving assumes an offense and does not fit generosity toward a fair competitor.

• warm

  generous

  when someone gives more credit, help, or resources than required

  not when Generous covers many acts that involve neither rivalry nor forgiveness.

• warm

  gracious

  for considerate conduct under social pressure or after winning

  not when Gracious can describe good manners even when no real sacrifice or restraint is involved.

• professional

  fair-minded

  when evidence and opposing views receive impartial treatment

  not when Fair-minded stops at fairness, while magnanimous can go beyond what fairness requires.

• professional

  lenient

  when a rule or penalty is applied less severely

  not when Lenient can suggest weak standards and lacks the positive generosity of magnanimous.

• formal

  charitable

  when judgments of another person allow for a kind interpretation

  not when Charitable may be read as donating money rather than withholding harsh judgment.

• formal

  unresentful

  when the important fact is the absence of bitterness

  not when Unresentful describes what is missing, not the active generosity shown.

• literary

  noble

  when conduct rises above self-interest through principle

  not when Noble can sound inflated or imply social rank in an everyday message.

• petty
• vindictive
• resentful
• mean-spirited

• magnanimous gesture

  Inviting both teams to the celebration was a magnanimous gesture.

• magnanimous in victory

  She remained magnanimous in victory and spoke first about the rival's strengths.

• magnanimous response

  His magnanimous response turned a sharp criticism into a useful exchange.

• merriam-webster, adjective sense: showing a lofty and generous spirit ↗opens in a new tab · retrieved 2026-07-26

The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.