beneficiary

American  

[ben-uh-fish-ee-er-ee, -fish-uh-ree] / ˌbɛn əˈfɪʃ iˌɛr i, -ˈfɪʃ ə ri /

noun

beneficiaries plural

1. a person or group that receives benefits, profits, or advantages.

2. a person designated as the recipient of funds or other property under a will, trust, insurance policy, etc.

3. Ecclesiastical. the holder of a benefice.

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beneficiary British  

/ ˌbɛnɪˈfɪʃərɪ /

noun

1. a person who gains or benefits in some way from something

2. law a person entitled to receive funds or other property under a trust, will, or insurance policy

3. the holder of an ecclesiastical or other benefice

4. a person who receives government assistance

   social security beneficiary

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adjective

1. of or relating to a benefice or the holder of a benefice

beneficiary Cultural  

1. The recipient of funds, property, or other benefits from an insurance policy, will, trust, or other settlement.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• prebeneficiary
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• beneficiaries
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

Japan’s Nikkei Stock Average, another beneficiary of the AI trade, declined 1.3% as Tokyo Electron 8035 -3.57%decrease; red down pointing triangle shed 2.45% and Kioxia Holdings 285A -11.13%decrease; red down pointing triangle dived 11%.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 7, 2026

Obviously, if you leave your home to one niece or nephew, others will hear about it — especially if that beneficiary decides to live there.

From MarketWatch • Jul. 2, 2026

“Meta has been a significant beneficiary from the advances in AI by selling more ads at higher prices, which has driven significant revenue acceleration,” he writes.

From Barron's • Jul. 1, 2026

Medicare Advantage, which offers other perks such as hearing, dental and vision coverage, currently costs the government more per beneficiary than traditional Medicare.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 27, 2026

In the late 1960s nonwhite Americans clamored for access to higher education, and I became a principal beneficiary of the academy’s response, its programs of affirmative action.

From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez

Related Words

• heir
• recipient