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:
There’s a hidden benefit to spending a vast sum of money to buy a pro sports team.
From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026
But on other items, it may take a bit longer to see the benefit in terms of market share, Walmart’s finance chief John David Rainey told analysts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
Paying their tuition lets you see them benefit from the money you’re giving them, without any extra financial hurdles to jump over.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026
In a sane world he would provide answers that could facilitate greater understanding of his actions and motivations, and how he believes those actions will benefit the American people.
From Salon ● Aug. 21, 2026
To them, the land was a commodity to be acquired and sold for the benefit of individuals.
From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
He sees it as “a period where we have reaped the benefits of the first shift and see up ahead — not very far ahead — the risks of the next stage.”
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 23, 2026
Currently, people receiving means-tested benefits are entitled to the one-off £150 Warm Home Discount over the winter, something administered by the energy suppliers themselves.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
It’s used to determine eligibility for certain tax deductions and credits, as well as certain government benefits and surcharges, according to Fidelity.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 22, 2026
The amount by which U.S. employers expect their health insurance costs to rise in 2027, the steepest increase in 20 years, according to a new survey from benefits consultant WTW.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
Some joined the NSB simply for the benefits: more food, more clothing coupons, the best jobs and housing.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Hamilton benefited from that by leaving his run late and benefiting from the usual improvement in track conditions through qualifying to pip Leclerc by 0.064secs.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
The earlier “Insidious” films benefited from the magnetism of Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne, who played the concerned parents of a young boy who fell into the Further’s clutches.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
People who run service orgs with low budgets and benefited for years from Microsoft’s programs no longer have much of the technology they need to keep things going—for either the short or long term.
From Slate ● Aug. 18, 2026
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
The same dynamic benefited the members of that generation when they went off to college.
From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell
Malcolm Penn, chairman of the semiconductor consultancy Future Horizons, said AT&S was one of few European companies directly benefiting from booming demand for AI hardware.
From Barron's ● Aug. 23, 2026
Hamilton benefited from that by leaving his run late and benefiting from the usual improvement in track conditions through qualifying to pip Leclerc by 0.064secs.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
Neocloud companies are providers of computing power that are benefiting from massive investment by hyperscalers as the artificial-intelligence infrastructure build-out continues.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026
“But making that effort especially matters when it’s directly benefiting people in our community.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 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
Bitcoin has, along with gold and silver, also benefitted from the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
She noted that Europe had long benefitted from "three pillars" -- a rules-based global order underpinned by US security guarantees, cheap energy and expanding global trade.
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 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
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
Chacin said the expanded police presence could help stem violence, but that tackling organized crime required, above all, following the money -- investigating how the proceeds are laundered and who is benefitting most.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
Meanwhile, groups such as his are benefitting from the government brain drain.
From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026
Semiconductors and semiconductor equipment, which are closest to the physical bottlenecks of the AI buildout, have been among the sectors benefitting most from the spending boom.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 12, 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
I've engaged to watch over you as a son, and I will do so as far as I'm able; but if you neglect my advice, what chance have I of benefitting you?
From Jack Sheppard A Romance by William Harrison Ainsworth
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.
