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

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Etymology

Origin of beneficiary

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

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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

See Examples For:

beneficiary beneficiaries

The memory giant remains a key beneficiary of global demand for advanced chips as companies invest heavily in AI infrastructure and applications.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

Last year, Microsoft was the third-largest beneficiary of the program, with 6,258 H-1B visas, according to data from U.S.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026

The use of runners attacking space Kane creates is not new - Jude Bellingham and Morgan Rogers have previously found joy exploiting it, but Gordon has been the latest beneficiary, while starting out wide.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

The company is a clear beneficiary of AI spending.

From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026

But he may also, to some extent, be a beneficiary of this ongoing instability.

From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove

Using a tag-along provision secured during the sale to Walter, the five Buss siblings hope to maximize value for all six beneficiaries, including Jeanie, the new filing reports.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

It is also when beneficiaries can join, drop or switch between Medicare drug plans or change their Medicare Advantage plans.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2026

Then, beneficiaries already enrolled in Medicare Advantage can change their benefits.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2026

Still, shares fell, showing how lofty expectations from AI beneficiaries have become.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

But in fact they are invariably the beneficiaries of hidden advantages and extraordinary opportunities and cultural legacies that allow them to learn and work hard and make sense of the world in ways others cannot.

From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell

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Related Words

• heir
• recipient

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