See also: Bene, bene-, B-ene, b-ene, and bɛŋɛ

English

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Etymology 1

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From Middle English bene, from Old English bēn (prayer, request, petition, favour, compulsory service), from Proto-Germanic *bōniz (supplication). Cognate with Danish bøn (prayer), Swedish bön (prayer), Icelandic bæn (prayer), Icelandic bón (request). Related to ban. See also boon, bee.

Alternative forms

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Pronunciation

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Noun

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bene (plural benes)

  1. (now chiefly dialectal) A prayer, especially to God; a petition; a boon.
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Etymology 2

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Noun

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bene (uncountable)

  1. Alternative form of benne (sesame)

Etymology 3

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UK C16. Probably from Latin bene or Italian bene.

Alternative forms

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Adjective

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bene (comparative benar, superlative benat)

  1. (obsolete, UK, thieves' cant) Good. [16th–19th c.]
    • 1828, Edward Bulwer-Lytton, Pelham: or The Adventures of a Gentleman[1], page 383:
      Egad, you carry a bene blink aloft. Come to the ken alone—no! my blowen; did not I tell you I should bring a pater cove, to chop up the whiners for Dawson?
Synonyms
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Derived terms
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Noun

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bene (plural benes)

  1. (obsolete, UK, thieves' cant) Tongue. [16th–18th c.]
    Stowe your bene!

References

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Anagrams

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Afrikaans

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Noun

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bene

  1. plural of been

Corsican

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Pronunciation

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Noun

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bene m

  1. Alternative form of

References

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Dutch

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Pronunciation

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Verb

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bene

  1. (dated or formal) singular present subjunctive of benen

Anagrams

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French

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Etymology

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Borrowed from Italian bene.

Pronunciation

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Adverb

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bene

  1. Synonym of bien

Italian

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Latin bene.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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bene (invariable)

  1. upper-class, posh, high
    Parioli è il quartiere bene di Roma per eccellenza.
    Parioli is the posh Rome neighborhood par excellence.

Adverb

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bene (comparative meglio, superlative benissimo)

  1. well, nicely, OK, right
    Antonym: male
    Non è necessario spendere una fortuna per mangiare bene.
    You don’t need to spend a fortune to eat well.
  2. properly, correctly, rightly
    Synonym: correttamente
    Antonyms: erratamente, erroneamente
    La mia lavatrice non funziona bene, qualcuno mi può aiutare?
    My washing machine isn't working properly, can anybody help me?
  3. thoroughly, carefully
    Synonyms: attentamente, minuziosamente
    Leggere bene le istruzioni prima dell'uso.
    Read the instructions carefully before use.
  4. as much as, as many as
    Synonym: valore di
    Gli agricoltori della Luisiana hanno subito una perdita di ben 450 milioni di dollari a causa dell'uragano Gustav.
    Louisiana farmers face lost income of as much as $450 million because of Hurricane Gustav.

Derived terms

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Interjection

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bene

  1. good!; fine!
    Bene! Sono proprio felice che hai avuto delle buone notizie!
    Good! I’m so glad you got some good news!

Noun

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bene m (plural beni)

  1. good
    Antonym: male
    L'eterna lotta tra il bene e il male.
    The eternal struggle between good and evil.
  2. (usually in the plural) goods, property, possessions, belongings, assets
    Synonyms: proprietà, possedimenti
    Dopo il suo secondo infarto, Mario vendette tutti i suoi beni ed andò in Nepal.
    Following his second heart attack, Mario had sold all his property and left for Nepal.
  3. sake, good
    Antonym: male
    Lo faccio per il tuo bene!
    I'm doing this for your sake!
  4. happiness
    Synonym: felicità
    Antonym: tristezza
    Auguro ogni bene a te e alla tua famiglia.
    Wish you and your family every happiness.
  5. sweetheart, darling, love, bless someone's cotton socks
    Synonyms: amore, tesoro, amato
    Sei il mio bene!You are my sweetheart!
  6. asset

Derived terms

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Further reading

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Latin

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Etymology

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    From Old Latin *duenēd, from duenos (good), which gave bonus, from Proto-Italic *dwenos.

    Pronunciation

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    Adverb

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    bene (comparative melius, superlative optimē)

    1. well
      Antonym: male
      Tibi bene ex animo volo.
      I wish you well with all my heart.
    2. properly, exactly
    3. agreeably, favorably

    Derived terms

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    Descendants

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    • Balkan Romance:
      • Aromanian: ghini, ghine
      • Istro-Romanian: bire
      • Megleno-Romanian: bini
      • Romanian: bine
    • Dalmatian:
    • Italo-Romance:
    • North Italian:
    • Gallo-Romance:
    • Occitano-Romance:
    • Ibero-Romance:
    • Insular Romance:
      • Sardinian: bene (Logudorese), beni (Campidanese)

    References

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    • bene”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
    • bene”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
    • bene in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
    • bene in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
    • Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book[2], London: Macmillan and Co.
      • so-and-so is in a very satisfactory position; prospers: agitur praeclare, bene cum aliquo
      • the matter progresses favourably, succeeds: aliquid (bene, prospere) succedit or procedit (opp. parum procedere, non succedere)
      • for a life of perfect happiness: ad bene beateque vivendum
      • to deserve well at some one's hands; to do a service to..: bene, praeclare (melius, optime) mereri de aliquo
      • I wish you all success in the matter: bene id tibi vertat!
      • you were right in...; you did right to..: recte, bene fecisti quod...
      • to have a good or bad reputation, be spoken well, ill of: bene, male audire (ab aliquo)
      • a good Latin scholar: bene latine doctus or sciens
      • to receive a liberal education: liberaliter, ingenue, bene educari
      • he is a young man of great promise: adulescens alios bene de se sperare iubet, bonam spem ostendit or alii de adulescente bene sperare possunt
      • to inculcate good (bad) principles: bene (male) praecipere alicui
      • to cross-examine cleverly, put leading questions: bene interrogare
      • that Greek proverb contains an excellent lesson: bene illo Graecorum proverbio praecipitur
      • to hope well of a person: bene, optime (meliora) sperare de aliquo (Nep. Milt. 1. 1)
      • a good conscience: conscientia recta, recte facti (factorum), virtutis, bene actae vitae, rectae voluntatis
      • a good conscience: mens bene sibi conscia
      • a moral (immoral) man: homo bene (male) moratus
      • a sound and sensible system of conduct: vitae ratio bene ac sapienter instituta
      • with the help of the gods: dis bene iuvantibus (Fam. 7. 20. 2)
      • and may God grant success: quod deus bene vertat!
      • to bless (curse) a person: precari alicui bene (male) or omnia bona (mala), salutem
      • to manage one's affairs, household, property well or ill: rem bene (male) gerere (vid. sect. XVI. 10a)
      • your health: bene tibi or te!
      • to entertain, regale a person: accipere aliquem (bene, copiose, laute, eleganter, regio apparatu, apparatis epulis)
      • a safe journey to you: bene ambula et redambula
      • good men of business: negotii bene gerentes (Quint. 19. 62)
      • to buy cheaply: parvo, vili pretio or bene emere
      • to have the good of the state at heart: bene, optime sentire de re publica
      • a success; a glorious feat of arms: res bene gesta
      • to win, lose a fight (of the commander): rem (bene, male) gerere (vid. sect. XII. 2, note rem gerere...)
      • I am sorry to hear..: male (opp. bene) narras (de)
    • bene”, in The Perseus Project (1999) Perseus Encyclopedia[3]
    • bene”, in William Smith, editor (1854, 1857), A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography, volume 1 & 2, London: Walton and Maberly

    Middle Dutch

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    Noun

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    bêne

    1. inflection of bêen:
      1. dative singular
      2. nominative/accusative/genitive plural

    Middle English

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    Alternative forms

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    Etymology

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    From Old English bēan, from Proto-West Germanic *baunu, from Proto-Germanic *baunō. The final vowel is generalised from the Old English inflected forms.

    Pronunciation

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    Noun

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    bene (plural benes)

    1. bean

    Descendants

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    References

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    Old English

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    Noun

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    bēne

    1. inflection of bēn:
      1. accusative/genitive/dative singular
      2. nominative/accusative plural

    Sardinian

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    Etymology

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    From Latin bene (well). Compare Italian bene.

    Adjective

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    bene

    1. well

    Adverb

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    bene

    1. well

    West Makian

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    Pronunciation

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    Noun

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    bene

    1. louse

    References

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    • Clemens Voorhoeve (1982) The Makian languages and their neighbours[4], Pacific linguistics
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