beneficiary

American  

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

noun

plural

beneficiaries

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

• prebeneficiary noun

Etymology

Origin of beneficiary

First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin beneficiārius, from benefici(um) benefice + -ārius -ary

Example Sentences

If eligibility for schemes is based on faulty or outdated data, the number of beneficiaries can be misjudged, distorting delivery.

From BBC

The other beneficiaries of Buffett’s philanthropic giving are family foundations, including three run by each of his three children.

From Barron's

An IRA can name a trust as the beneficiary after the account owner’s — your husband, in this case — death.

From MarketWatch

As it happened, Rodgers himself would be among the major beneficiaries of that effort.

From The Wall Street Journal

By January of this year, Beijing reported the program had already reached more than 24 million beneficiaries, with 90 billion yuan allocated from the central budget for the year.

From Barron's

Related Words

• heir
• recipient