benefit

American  

[ben-uh-fit] / ˈbɛn ə fɪt /

noun

• benefits
  plural

1. something that is advantageous or good; an advantage.

   He explained the benefits of public ownership of the postal system.

   Synonyms:

   profit, gain, boon

2. 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.

3. a theatrical performance or other public entertainment to raise money for a charitable organization or cause.

4. Archaic. an act of kindness; good deed; benefaction.

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verb (used with object)

benefited, benefitted, benefiting, benefitting

1. to do good to; be of service to.

   a health program to benefit everyone.

verb (used without object)

benefited, benefitted, benefiting, benefitting

1. to derive benefit or advantage; profit; make improvement.

   He has never benefited from all that experience.

idioms

1. for someone's benefit, so as to produce a desired effect in another's mind.

   He wasn't really angry; that was just an act for his girlfriend's benefit.

benefit British  

/ ˈbɛnɪfɪt /

noun

1. something that improves or promotes

2. advantage or sake

   this is for your benefit

3. 1. 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

   2. any similar allowance in various other countries

4. (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

5. a theatrical performance, sports event, etc, to raise money for a charity

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verb

1. to do or receive good; profit

benefit More Idioms  

1. see give the benefit.

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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

• benefiter
  noun
• benefitter
  noun
• self-benefit
  noun
• superbenefit
  noun
• prebenefit
  verb
• self-benefiting
  adjective
• self-benefitting
  adjective
• unbenefited
  adjective
• unbenefiting
  adjective
• unbenefitted
  adjective
• unbenefitting
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• benefits
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

benefit benefits benefited benefiting benefitted benefitting

Some of the millions of Americans taking a GLP-1 drug to lose weight are getting an unexpected benefit: Their back and knee pain is getting better.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026

“There is no reason to weaken standards that are technologically feasible and have a direct benefit for the quality of the air people breathe.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026

Some species benefit from extra dead plant material left by drought, while others respond to stress in trees by producing more mushrooms.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

The planned actions should create a higher growth business which will benefit from structural tailwinds, the analysts say.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

It paid a fair wage and included a benefit she had not fully appreciated before: time to herself.

From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman

"This consultation gives local people and business owners a chance to have their say and help shape the airport's expansion so that it brings lasting benefits for our communities," he said.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

Higher interest rates have a few clear benefits for those near and in retirement.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026

Donating to alternative institutions benefits everyone who cares about higher education.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

When the concentration was either too high or too low, those benefits began to fade.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 8, 2026

The spiritual press appealed to their typically liberal audience with articles on the benefits of racial equality and leadership qualities in women.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

Construction companies and manufacturers in particular have benefited from the boom in artificial intelligence.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 3, 2026

Stabilizing Treasurys also benefited from their safe-haven status amid stress in European bonds.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

Several African and Caribbean countries have called for a formal apology and reparations from countries that benefited from the transatlantic slave trade.

From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026

But only 35 percent considered it benefited Venezuela, compared to 28 percent who said it harmed the Caribbean country.

From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026

The adventure of the night does not seem to have harmed her; on the contrary, it has benefited her, for she looks better this morning than she has done for weeks.

From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker

The women’s business remained a bright spot, benefiting from demand for baggy jeans and the company’s push beyond denim.

From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026

Refineries unaffected by the conflict are thus benefiting from the tightening global supply of such products.

From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026

“The consumer is benefiting from a lower cost,” said Andy Palmer, a former CEO of Aston Martin.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

There’s no question that Micron Technology is benefiting from robust artificial-intelligence spending.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026

Since when did Ritu auntie think in terms of benefiting a woman’s career?

From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon

Bitcoin has, along with gold and silver, also benefitted from the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

Along with other industrial firms such as France's Schneider Electric and Switzerland's ABB, Siemens has benefitted from demand for data centres that provide the computing power for AI.

From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026

He said teams had benefitted from low wind and light rain earlier on Saturday.

From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026

In the new era of revenue sharing, particularly because of NIL rights, student athletes have benefitted.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026

Newcomen must have benefitted from either Savery’s or Papin’s expertise.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

As Alonso's rivals went into the pits, the Spaniard, benefitting from the reduced gaps caused by the safety car, moved up the field and went on to win the race.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

Meanwhile, groups such as his are benefitting from the government brain drain.

From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026

Meanwhile Chinese brands have been moving aggressively onto international markets, introducing new technologies while benefitting from lower production costs than European rivals.

From BBC ● Jul. 13, 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

I think nothing is really pleasure as compared with the blessedness of benefitting others.

From The Harvest of Years by Martha Lewis Beckwith Ewell

Related Words

• advance
• aid
• assist
• contribute to
• enhance
• favor
• further
• help
• improve
• pay
• pay off
• promote
• serve