English

Alternative forms

• been (dialectal)
• ben, e (obsolete)

Noun

bene ‎(plural benes)

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

   What is good for a bootless bene? — Wordsworth.

Related terms

• beenship

Etymology 2

Noun

bene ‎(uncountable)

1. Alternative form of benne (sesame)

Etymology 3

UK C16. Probably from Latin bene or Italian bene.

Alternative forms

• ben, bien

Adjective

bene ‎(comparative benar, superlative benat)

1. (archaic, Britain, cant) Good. [16th-19th c.]

Synonyms

• See Wikisaurus:good

Derived terms

• bene bowse
• bene cove
• bene darkmans
• bene feaker
• bene feaker of gybes
• bene mort
• beneship
• beneshiply
• cut bene

Noun

bene ‎(plural benes)

1. (archaic, Britain, cant) Tongue. [16th-18th c.]

   Stowe your bene!‎

References

• Grose, Francis (1788) A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, 2nd edition, London: S. Hooper
• Barrère, Albert; Leland, Charles Godfrey (1889) A Dictionary of Slang, Jargon & Cant, volume 1, page 107
• Farmer, John Stephen (1890) Slang and Its Analogues, volume 1, pages 178–179
• Eric Partridge, The Routledge Dictionary of Historical Slang. Routledge, 1973. ISBN 9780710077615.

Afrikaans

Noun

bene

1. plural of been

Dutch

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -eːnə

Verb

bene

1. (archaic) singular present subjunctive of benen

Anagrams

• been

French

Adverb

bene

1. Synonym of bien

Italian

Etymology

From Latin bene.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈbɛː.ne], /ˈbɛne/

Adjective

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

bene (comparative: meglio; superlative: benissimo)

1. well, nicely, OK, right

   Non è necessario spendere una fortuna per mangiare bene. - You don’t need to spend a fortune to eat well.

2. properly, correctly, rightly

   La mia lavatrice non funziona bene, qualcuno mi può aiutare? - My washing machine isn't working properly, can anybody help me?

3. thoroughly, carefully

   Leggere bene le istruzioni prima dell'uso. - Read the instructions carefully before use.

4. as much as, as many as

   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.

Synonyms

• (properly etc) correttamente
• (thoroughly etc) attentamente, minuziosamente

Antonyms

• male

Derived terms

Interjection

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

bene m ‎(plural beni)

1. good

   L'eterna lotta tra il bene e il male. The eternal struggle between good and evil.

2. (chiefly in the plural) goods, property, possessions, belongings, assets

   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

   Lo faccio per il tuo bene! - I'm doing this for your sake!

4. happiness

   Auguro ogni bene a te e alla tua famiglia. Wish you and your family every happiness.

5. sweetheart, darling, love

   Sei il mio bene! - You are my sweetheart!

6. asset

   Something or someone of any value; any portion of one's property or effects so considered

Antonyms

• (good): male

Synonyms

• (goods etc): proprietà, possedimenti
• (happiness): felicità
• (sweetheart etc): amore, tesoro, amato

Derived terms

• bene immobile
• bene mobile
• bene private
• bene pubblico
• bene di stato

Latin

Etymology

From Old Latin *duened, from duenos ‎(“good”), which gave bonus. More at bonus.

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈbe.ne/

Adverb

bene ‎(comparable melius, superlative optimē)

1. well

   Tibi bene ex animo volo.

   I wish you well with all my heart.

2. properly, exactly
3. agreeably, favorably

Derived terms

• benefaciō

Related terms

• bonus

Descendants

References

• 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, 1883–1887)
• Félix Gaffiot (1934), “bene”, in Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Paris: Hachette.
• Meissner, Carl; Auden, Henry William (1894) Latin Phrase-Book, 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
• bene in William Smith., editor (1854, 1857) A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography, volume 1 & 2, London: Walton and Maberly