benefit
Americannoun
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benefits
plural
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something that is advantageous or good; an advantage.
He explained the benefits of public ownership of the postal system.
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a payment or gift, as one made to help someone or given by an employer, an insurance company, or a public agency.
The company offers its employees a pension plan, free health insurance, and other benefits.
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a theatrical performance or other public entertainment to raise money for a charitable organization or cause.
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Archaic. an act of kindness; good deed; benefaction.
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
idioms
noun
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something that improves or promotes
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advantage or sake
this is for your benefit
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an allowance paid by the government as for sickness, unemployment, etc, to which a person is entitled under social security or the national insurance scheme
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any similar allowance in various other countries
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(sometimes plural) a payment or series of payments made by an institution, such as an insurance company or trade union, to a person who is ill, unemployed, etc
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a theatrical performance, sports event, etc, to raise money for a charity
verb
Usage
What are other ways to say benefit?
A benefit is something that is advantageous or good. When should you use benefit instead of advantage or profit? Find out on Thesaurus.com.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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benefiternoun
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benefitternoun
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self-benefitnoun
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superbenefitnoun
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prebenefitverb
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self-benefitingadjective
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self-benefittingadjective
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unbenefitedadjective
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unbenefitingadjective
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unbenefittedadjective
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unbenefittingadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of benefit
First recorded in 1350–1400; late Middle English noun benefytt, benefett, alteration (with Latinized first syllable) of Middle English b(i)enfet, benefait, from Anglo-French benfet, Middle French bienfait, from Latin benefactum “good deed”; see bene- ( def. ), fact ( def. )
Explanation
A benefit is something that helps you, whether in the form of health insurance provided by an employer, welfare given by the government to those in need, or the benefit of the doubt extended to you by a friend. The Latin bene- "good" is at the heart of the word benefit, which derives from the Latin benefactum "good deed." When attendance at a party or an event raises money for a charity, the event is referred to as a benefit in that charity's honor.
Vocabulary lists containing benefit
Take the Bad with the Good: Bene and Mal
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Academic Vocabulary Toolkit 1, Words 11-20
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"The Perils of Indifference," Vocabulary from the speech
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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.
See Examples For:
Jefferies’s report highlights that replicating the global success of K-Beauty will be difficult, as Korean beauty brands benefit from strong consumer trust, product innovation, digital engagement and the influence of K-Pop and Korean dramas.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
But this may shift, and so Goldman has run a screen for companies currently deemed most likely to benefit from AI adoption, with a particular focus on how the technology may reduce labor costs.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026
With the additional data, they found that digoxin produced a meaningful and statistically significant benefit, even when patients were already taking the four standard heart failure medications.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026
Beyond the chip industry, cloud-computing leaders like Amazon, Microsoft and even Google would also benefit handsomely if open-weight models expand demand for computing power.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
He assumes that free cocoa is a benefit of being a member of the circus.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
The benefits to companies could include lower auditor fees and less time spent preparing the reports, currently an every-three-month grind for finance teams.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
But the programs that have stuck to the Southland have reaped the benefits.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
If a parent does not pay their ex-partner directly after setting up an arrangement with the CMS, the service can take money from wages, bank accounts or benefits, using its Collect and Pay service.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
It’s a research-backed model for healthy eating, with wide-ranging health benefits like better brain and heart health, plus a lower risk of cancer and early death.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 16, 2026
This is a different trick that has three benefits.
From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri
Over many decades, homeowners benefited handsomely from leverage, because they were able to borrow cheaply for 30 years at low fixed interest rates.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026
They defended the status quo against various liberation movements and labor coalitions, fighting to keep everything as it had always been in service of the people who most benefited from the old arrangement.
From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026
Like other producers, Netflix has benefited from improvements to California’s tax incentive program intended to stem so-called runaway production, though Bajaria said the program is not as “comprehensive” as it needs to be.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
Li benefited from his connection with Tencent, an early investor in Futu.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026
The authors theorized that the theater students benefited by spending time “reading and learning lines as actors, and possibly reading to carry out research about characters and their settings.”
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
Many homeowners benefiting from low rates from years ago have opted to stay put to maintain their rates, which has dragged down available inventory.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
Blanche has taken steps to curry Murkowski’s favor in recent months, visiting Alaska and announcing a $400-million settlement benefiting Alaska natives’ healthcare in July.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
Car sales have been surprisingly strong in 2026, benefiting from the so-called wealth effect tied to the boom in U.S. stocks.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026
Alex Vatanka, another senior fellow from the Middle East Institute, summed up the situation, describing it as a "lose-lose equation" in which "neither side is benefiting."
From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026
Dear Miss Wright: We trust that you have been benefiting from your first year at the New York School of Fine Arts.
From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng
Along with other industrial firms such as France's Schneider Electric and Switzerland's ABB, Siemens has benefitted from demand for data centres that provide the computing power for AI.
From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026
In the new era of revenue sharing, particularly because of NIL rights, student athletes have benefitted.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
The backdrop has Conger’s team underweight on the Magnificent Seven and semiconductors, which have benefitted from the artificial-intelligence spending blitz.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 2, 2026
There isn't a cop in the city who hasn't been charmed by them, nor a local business that hasn't benefitted hugely from the Tartan Army dollar.
From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2026
Like most things in the Night Zoo, the terms and conditions held by its indentured workers only benefitted one person.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
Bangladesh dominated Australia on day one of the first Test, despite Steve Smith benefitting from being given not out on review to a ball he later said he nicked.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
Vance is still benefitting from “Hillbilly Elegy” as well.
From Salon ● Jun. 25, 2026
It was a starry, starry night at Thursday’s sold-out Hollywood Bowl Netflix is a Joke Presents: Night of Too Many Stars epic comic bonanza fundraiser benefitting autism programs nationwide, including Autism Speaks.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 13, 2026
The marketing rules behind Medicare Advantage are about to get looser, benefitting brokers and agents that sell the private-insurance alternative to traditional Medicare.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 24, 2026
He ever kept himself abreast of the science of the day, and devoted his abilities and energies, con amore, to the benefitting of men’s souls as well as their bodies.
From The Doctor in History, Literature, Folk-Lore, Etc. by Various
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.
