benediction
Americannoun
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an utterance of good wishes.
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the form of blessing pronounced by an officiating minister, as at the close of divine service.
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a ceremony by which things are set aside for sacred uses, as a church, vestments, or bells.
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Also called Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. (usually initial capital letter) a service consisting of prayers, at least one prescribed hymn, censing of the congregation and the Host, and a blessing of the congregation by moving in the form of a cross the ciborium or monstrance containing the Host.
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the advantage conferred by blessing; a mercy or benefit.
noun
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an invocation of divine blessing, esp at the end of a Christian religious ceremony
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a Roman Catholic service in which the congregation is blessed with the sacrament
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the state of being blessed
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of benediction
1400–50; late Middle English (< Middle French ) < Latin benedictiōn- (stem of benedictiō ). See Benedictus, -ion
Explanation
A benediction is a blessing — either a formal one that you might hear in a church service or an informal one that you might utter when you take any leap of faith. The noun benediction comes from the Latin roots bene, meaning "well" and diction meaning "to speak" — literally to speak well of. Although it is most often used in the religious sense of prayer and blessing — especially a ceremonial prayer at the end of a church service — it can mean any expression of good wishes. "Good luck on the test!" the mother cried in benediction as her son set off for school.
Vocabulary lists containing benediction
Take the Bad with the Good: Bene and Mal
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You Can Say That Again: Dic and Dict
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"The Drummer Boy of Shiloh"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But even he receives a mote of benediction, especially when he commits sins he can’t undo.
From Salon • Sep. 7, 2025
It was a space that famously could turn an aspiring comedian into a successful one overnight, if given the host’s benediction — a wave to come to sit.
From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2024
Amid the rooster benediction ceremony, Notre Dame’s new restoration chief, Philippe Jost, also detailed pioneering measures taken to safeguard the iconic cathedral against future fires – in rare comments to the press.
From Washington Times • Dec. 16, 2023
A benediction is an offering of good wishes, though it can also be a prayer offered in, well, blessing.
From New York Times • Apr. 30, 2023
She waved a hand in benediction over us.
From "A Long Way from Chicago" by Richard Peck
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
