beneficiary
Americannoun
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a person or group that receives benefits, profits, or advantages.
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a person designated as the recipient of funds or other property under a will, trust, insurance policy, etc.
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Ecclesiastical. the holder of a benefice.
noun
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a person who gains or benefits in some way from something
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law a person entitled to receive funds or other property under a trust, will, or insurance policy
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the holder of an ecclesiastical or other benefice
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a person who receives government assistance
social security beneficiary
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of beneficiary
First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin beneficiārius, from benefici(um) benefice + -ārius -ary
Explanation
A beneficiary is simply the recipient of money or other benefits. So when your big sister finally moves away to college and you get to move into her bigger bedroom? You become a lucky beneficiary. In other words — if you benefit from something, you are a beneficiary. This word pops up most commonly when people are creating their wills and trusts — you have to choose beneficiaries as the people who will get what you have when you die. But it isn't always so morbid. You can be the beneficiary of someone's kindness, the beneficiary of a good education, or even the beneficiary of your own hard work.
Vocabulary lists containing beneficiary
Giving Words
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The Crucible
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Nothing But the Truth
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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.
My mother passed away and I am the beneficiary on her checking account.
From MarketWatch • May 19, 2026
Analysts reinstated ServiceNow with a Buy rating, viewing it as an AI beneficiary, and Salesforce with an Underperform rating.
From Barron's • May 18, 2026
A snafu in updating beneficiary information is in the way.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 16, 2026
Louise Peeters was the beneficiary of those visitors for the 15 years she ran a beach donkey service.
From BBC • May 16, 2026
In 1974 I published an essay admitting unease over becoming the beneficiary of affirmative action.
From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez
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.
