Munificent

adj.kind, joyfulformal

What it means

Exceptionally generous in the amount or scale of giving.

Reach for it when describing a gift or giver whose openhanded support is unusually large

A munificent gift secured the rural clinic's replacement equipment.

everyday
lavish
when giving or provision is abundant and elaborate
not when Lavish can criticize excess and does not guarantee useful generosity.
warm
generous
when willing giving is clear without an exceptional-scale claim
not when Generous spans time, interpretation, and gifts of any size, so it underspecifies scale.
warm
openhanded
when a person's readiness to give freely is central
not when Openhanded is informal and concerns disposition more than actual size.
professional
philanthropic
when organized support of public causes is central
not when Philanthropic describes purpose, not the gift's scale or openness.
formal
beneficent
when a person or act actively produces good
not when Beneficent praises the good produced; generosity at exceptional scale is a different claim.
formal
liberal
when giving exceeds a narrow amount
not when Liberal has political meanings and can be unclear without a noun.
literary
bountiful
when abundant provision has a warm, traditional tone
not when Bountiful often describes nature, food, or supply rather than a donor.
literary
princely
when a gift is grand enough to evoke royal wealth
not when Princely is archaic, class-bound, and poor for plain recognition.
literary
unstinting
when support is given without holding back
not when Unstinting is an absolute and can romanticize unsustainable giving.

munificent gift
The munificent gift came without naming rights or control.
munificent donor
A munificent donor covered the entire equipment list.
munificent support
Munificent support allowed the orchestra to remove participation fees.

Munificent is elevated and uncommon. Generous is usually clearer, and a large gift still needs scrutiny of conditions and impact.

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