largesse

/lɑːˈ(d)ʒɛs/

//lɑːˈ(d)ʒɛs// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"largesse" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“largesse” is uncommon English (frequency #66,031 among 2,297 “L” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#66,031
frequency rank, English
2,297
“L” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The trait of being willing to donate money, resources, or time; generosity, liberality.

Corpus desk

Index EN-largesse · largesse · English

largesse · rank #66,031 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #66,031
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH Langkawi

Nearest frequency peer: Langkawi (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “largesse”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “largesse” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for largesse
PropertyValue
Headwordlargesse
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/lɑːˈ(d)ʒɛs/
Letters8
Frequency rank#66,031
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “largesse” in English

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).largessefalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “Langkawi” (#66,030), “Latam” (#66,033), “Lae” (#66,027). Among 2,297 “L” headwords, “largesse” is #66,031. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

largesse is uncommon English at frequency #66,031 among 2,297 “L” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /lɑːˈ(d)ʒɛs/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 7 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for largesse in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English larges, largess, largesse [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman largece, largesce, Middle French largece, largesce, largesse, and Old French largesce (“breadth, width; request for a monetary gift; (act of) generous giving; (chiefly in the… The correct English form is largesse, spelled L-A-R-G-E-S-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The trait of being willing to donate money, resources, or time; generosity, liberality.
  2. 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.
  3. 3
    Money, etc., given in this way.
  4. 4
    Abundance of something (chiefly beneficial), regarded as having been given generously.
  5. 5
    Chiefly in the form at one's largesse: freedom or liberty to act.
  6. 6
    An act of donating or giving generously.
  7. 7
    A specific gift of money, etc., given in this way, specifically (historical) at harvest time; a donation, a gratuity.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how largesse appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. 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 and with holy wordes and prayers it ſhoulde be made holy and pure, that before was vncleane.
  2. 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 Diſpenſer, and the largeſs of Heaven; vvhich cannot be queſtion'd, […]

Etymology

From Middle English larges, largess, largesse [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman largece, largesce, Middle French largece, largesce, largesse, and Old French largesce (“breadth, width; request for a monetary gift; (act of) generous giving; (chiefly in the plural) generous gift; generosity, liberality”) (in Anglo-Norman also “liberty; privilege”; modern French largesse), from large (“big, large; generous; wide”).

This word in other languages

largesse(Français)Großzügigkeit(Deutsch)generosidade(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "largesse"?
"largesse" is spelled L-A-R-G-E-S-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /lɑːˈ(d)ʒɛs/.
What does "largesse" mean?
As a noun, "largesse" means: The trait of being willing to donate money, resources, or time; generosity, liberality.
How do you pronounce "largesse"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "largesse" is /lɑːˈ(d)ʒɛs/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "largesse"?
From Middle English larges, largess, largesse [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman largece, largesce, Middle French largece, largesce, largesse, and Old French largesce (“breadth, width; request for a monetary gift; (act of) generous giving; (chie... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "largesse", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Langkawi#66,030liaising#66,042Ivanovna#66,001mealtime#66,081

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list