What is the difference between benevolence and benevolent?

Answer 1

Benevolence is a noun and while benevolent is an adjective.

This means that benevolence is an actual thing, the state of having good intentions towards others. However the word benevolent is used to describe a thing, such as a person. In other words benevolence can be the subject of a sentence and benevolent cannot.

Answer 2

Although an affable person will often be benevolent as well, that is not always the case. An affable person has a friendly manner. A benevolent person has good intentions toward others. But one can have a friendly manner without really having good intentions. Some people like to appear to be friendly in order to be popular (politicians, for example) while they may actually be quite selfish in their motives and may not be particularly benevolent.