a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) ii. l. 1599 (MED) Thus the wel meninge of love Was ate laste set above, And..The false tunges weren lore, Whiche upon love wolden lie.

?1555 Image of Idlenesse vii. sig. C.iv My truste is that Venus..may recompence my well meanyng with the name of a Venerian.

1569 E. Elviden Closet of Counsells To Rdr. sig. Aiii^v I craue thy curtesy to respect of my wel meaninge rather then of my abilitie.

1612 E. Grimeston tr. L. T. de Mayerne Gen. Hist. Spaine v. xix. 146 Which approached neere to impietie, couering all with a cloake of well meaning.

1667 H. More Divine Dialogues (1713) v. xxvi. 487 If that be at the bottom,..their well-meaning is commendable.

1703 Earl of Orrery As you find It iii. ii. 38 Sir, your Deportment has been very surprizing to me,..but your Youth and Well-meaning may in a great measure excuse you.

1747 W. Mason Musæus 13 Let my well-meaning mend my ill essay.

1768 Woman of Honor I. 209 A few men of good sense, and real well-meaning.

1820 R. C. Dallas Sir Francis Darrell III. xliii. 147 A good kind of a good-looking,..half-witted young man, whom..Caroline and I pity for mistaken zeal, and foolish well-meaning.

a1849 H. Coleridge Ess. & Marginalia (1851) II. 254 I give the Bishop credit for well-meaning in his refusal of the pictures offered to St. Paul's.

1912 Monon (Indiana) News 31 May We do not question the well meaning of those who are responsible for this change.

1991 T. M. Davis in E. Elliott Columbia Hist. Amer. Novel 411 Despite the well meaning of sympathetic observers,..the exploration of the racial other was not necessarily contingent upon concern for the subordinate position of minorities in society.

1498 Interpr. Names Goddis & Goddesses (de Worde) sig. Bi^v/1 There were..Well menyng marchauntes w^t tru artyfyceres.

1504 Proclam. Henry VII auoydynge Dystruccyon Coyne 5 July (single sheet) Grete trouble & vexacion dayly is had to his true & well meanynge subgectes in makynge & receyuynge of theyr paymentes.

1532 (c1385) Usk's Test. Loue in Wks. G. Chaucer ii. f. cccxli Right as see yeueth floode, so draweth see ebbe, and pulleth ayen vnder wawe al the firste out throw, but if good pyles of noble gouernaunce in loue, in wel meanynge maner, ben sadly grounded.

1579 in W. Wilkinson Confut. Familye of Loue sig. Bij Take this briefe freindly and well meaning aunswere to your exceptions in good part.

1597 W. Shakespeare Richard II ii. i. 129 My brother Glocester plaine well meaning soule. View more context for this quotation

1649 J. Milton Εικονοκλαστης xvii. 158 What a Cordial and well meaning helper they had of him abroad.

1673 True Notion Worship of God p. iv Some out of a well meaning mistake, thinking that which they call Preaching, the only means of Salvation.

1697 J. Dryden Ded. Georgics in tr. Virgil Wks. sig. ¶1 'Tis the fault of many a well-meaning Man, to be officious in a wrong place.

1712 J. Addison Spectator No. 299. ¶3 She..treats me like a plain well-meaning Man, who does not know the World.

1776 Scots Mag. Jan. 5/2 Honest and well-meaning Republicans..confine themselves to mere theory.

1828 E. Bulwer-Lytton Pelham III. xvii. 281 The annuity we have agreed upon is only to be given in case of success—not merely for well meaning attempts.

1856 C. Nordhoff Whaling & Fishing xv. 272 My associates, if not very intelligent, were yet good, and well-meaning toward me.

1916 Q. Rev. Apr. 571 Wounded heroes in mufti found white feathers thrust upon them by well-meaning females.

1960 W. Miller Canticle for Leibowitz (1961) xiii. 111 I recommend him to you as a well-meaning man, or at least as an unmalicious child.

2011 Metro (Nexis) 28 June 44 Public services are cut and trained professionals are replaced by well-meaning amateurs.

1645 Some Observ. upon Occasion of publishing Their Majesties Lett. 13 All that hath been so weakly, but well-meaningly laid downe in these short notes.

1739 Methodists 24 Patients who only think they're ill; And who well meaningly receive All Bolusses these Pseudo's give.

1992 Sci. Fiction & Fantasy Writers of Amer. Bull. Winter 9/2 We both have pretty strong egos and often it takes a while to get over some of the advice, no matter how well-meaningly it was given.

1663 E. Waterhouse Fortescutus Illustratus i. 16 The..well-meaningness of the seduced people.

1900 Spectator 13 Jan. 52/1 Sloppiness, mental and moral, and vague well-meaningness.

2005 D. Quantick Grumpy Old Men on Holiday 131 It is wrong to berate a nation for their well-meaningness and their friendliness.