Liberal, generous, bountiful, bounteous, openhanded, munificent, handsome are applied to a person or to his deeds or utterances and mean showing or revealing a spirit of giving freely and without stint.
Liberal suggests openhandedness or lack of closeness or meanness in the giver and largeness in the thing that is given.
Generous usually emphasizes some positive quality of heart and mind (as warmhearted readiness to give, forgetfulness of self, or magnanimity) that prompts the giver or the gift more than the size or importance of the gift.
Bountiful suggests lavish or unremitting generosity in providing or giving.
Bounteous carries much the same suggestions as bountiful but is less often applied to a person.
Openhanded emphasizes generosity in giving and may further suggest freedom from all taint of self-interest and sometimes of forethought in the giving (compare closefisted at STINGY ).
Munificent stresses splendid or princely liberality.
Handsome ((for application to a person see BEAUTIFUL )) is often a close synonym of liberal and may carry a suggestion of astonishing largeness when applied to a gift, an offer, or a salary or it may be a close synonym of generous especially when applied to an act or deed that evokes admiration for its unexpected magnanimity or graciousness.