benefit

American  

[ben-uh-fit] / ˈbɛn ə fɪt /

noun

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

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

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”; bene- ( def. ), fact ( def. )

Example Sentences

Applied Materials shares look set to continue to benefit from recent chip-sector strength, while Broadcom’s stock should rebound as AI-chip revenue grows.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

What’s Next: Dominguez said on Tuesday that the regulatory picture is starting to get clearer, and that Constellation is likely to benefit from some of the changes.

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

"At the moment, at least, we do not benefit from the core business model that clubs 100 years old in our division have, whether gate receipts or food‑and‑beverage income," Owen said.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

Analyst Melissa Weathers said that Applied Materials looks primed to benefit from recent chip-sector strength and an uptick in demand for its dynamic random-access memory chips — a major revenue segment for the company.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

Whether hereditary units were divisible or indivisible did not particularly bother him; what concerned him was whether heredity was actionable or inactionable: whether human inheritance could be manipulated for human benefit.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Related Words

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