John's will and testament is a generous document.

[Elias Mo]

Hello, what do you think the word "generous" means in the sentence: "John's will and testament is a generous document."
Please help. Thanks.

 

[5jj]

Welcome to the forum, Elias Mo.

We ask members to give us the source and author of any words you quote.

 

[Elias Mo]

It's not a quote; I made it myself from memory when I read it somewhere. John is only John Doe. Just wonder if "generous" can mean "giving/charitable" or "large/copious".

 

[Tarheel]

Either you wrote it yourself or you remember seeing it somewhere. In either case, I have a hard time understanding how a document can be generous. You might say, "Bob gave a generous contribution to WXYZ charity, meaning that he gave a large amount of money (perhaps impressively so).

 

[Tarheel]

It is certainly true that "giving" is part of the definition of "generous". Have you looked the word up in www.onelook.com?

 

[Elias Mo]

I have checked multiple resources. A generous portion means a big portion; a generous man means a giving man. But a generous document/a will? I think it means the will gave away generously, but I want to know how a native English speaker understands this sentence. And this sentence is a real one, I read it somewhere in a book.
If you are a native English speaker, please let me know what your immediate reaction/understanding is upon reading such a phrase in a book. Thank you very much.

 

[emsr2d2]

Without further context, I wouldn't know whether it simply meant that it was a huge document or if its contents showed that John was very generous with his bequests.

 

[emsr2d2]

Hello.
What do you think the word "generous" means in [the sentence] no colon here "John's will and testament is a generous document"?

Please help. Thanks. Unnecessary. You've asked your question and it's clear you want our help. Also, don't thank anyone in advance. Thank us after we help you, by adding the "Thanks" icon to any response you find useful.

Note my corrections above.
Without further context, I don't know whether it simply meant that it was a huge document or if its contents showed that John was very generous with his bequests. I wouldn't stumble across such a sentence on its own - there would always be context.

It's not a quote; I made wrote it myself from memory when after I read it somewhere. John is only a John Doe. I just wonder if "generous" can mean "giving/charitable" or "large/copious".

Note my corrections above. It can mean both. Which one it means here depends on context, as I already explained.

I have checked multiple resources. A generous portion means a big portion; a generous man means a giving man, but a generous document/a will? I think it means the will man gave things/money away generously, but I want to know how a native English speaker understands this sentence. And This sentence is a real one, I read it somewhere in a book.
If you are a native English speaker, please let me know what your immediate reaction/understanding is upon reading such a phrase in a book.
Thank you very much. Unnecessary. See my earlier comment.

Note my corrections above. My response to your main query is under the first quote in this reply.

 

[Elias Mo]

Without further context, I wouldn't know whether it simply meant that it was a huge document or if its contents showed that John was very generous with his bequests.

The context is that we are talking about a person of the past, how he was as a man. We are saying that he was an admirable man and his will was a generous document.

 

[emsr2d2]

The context is that we are talking about a person of the past, how he was as a man. We are saying that he was an admirable man and his will was a generous document.

That doesn't help. Doesn't the piece (whatever it is) goes on to elaborate on what's in the will?

 

[Elias Mo]

That doesn't help. Doesn't the piece (whatever it is) goes on to elaborate on what's in the will?

No, no mention of the will ever again in the book. But that's all right. My understanding is that the will has been a generous one in its content, not in its measurments and form. Thanks for trying to help. Maybe someone else has an opinion on this matter, too?

 

[emsr2d2]

No, there's no mention of the will ever again in the book no full stop here but that's all right. My understanding is that the will has been a generous one in its content, not in its measurements and form. Thanks for trying to help. Maybe someone else has an opinion on this matter, too.

Note my corrections and comments above.
Your final sentence wasn't a question so should not have ended with a question mark.

 

[5jj]

No, no mention of the will ever again in the book.

Which book? See post #2.

 

[emsr2d2]

Which book? See post #2.

So far, this is the best the OP has come up with ...

It's not a quote; I made it myself from memory when I read it somewhere.

 

[Tarheel]

If you want to credit a will for being generous I can't stop you, but I would prefer to attribute that quality to the testator.

 

[emsr2d2]

If you want to credit a will for being generous I can't stop you, but I would prefer to attribute that quality to the legatee.

I wouldn't attribute it to the legatee (the person who receives the legacy). I'd attribute it to the person who wrote the will.