benefit
Americannoun
-
benefits
plural
-
something that is advantageous or good; an advantage.
He explained the benefits of public ownership of the postal system.
-
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.
-
a theatrical performance or other public entertainment to raise money for a charitable organization or cause.
-
Archaic. an act of kindness; good deed; benefaction.
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
idioms
noun
-
something that improves or promotes
-
advantage or sake
this is for your benefit
-
-
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
-
any similar allowance in various other countries
-
-
(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
-
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
-
benefiternoun
-
benefitternoun
-
self-benefitnoun
-
superbenefitnoun
-
prebenefitverb
-
self-benefitingadjective
-
self-benefittingadjective
-
unbenefitedadjective
-
unbenefitingadjective
-
unbenefittedadjective
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Academic Vocabulary Toolkit 1, Words 11-20
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"The Perils of Indifference," Vocabulary from the speech
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
He highlighted the expansion of the hospital at home service and said a family recently told him it was of "enormous benefit".
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
There are ways that investors can still benefit from the higher yields, while also reducing the drain from rising inflation and falling bond prices.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026
Beyond hardwood or turf battles, younger siblings can benefit from a profound shift in parental behavior, a phenomenon Louisiana Tech University sport and exercise psychology professor Dr. Jordan Blazo calls the “rough draft hypothesis.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
The brokerage maintains its overweight rating on MediaTek and says the company could also benefit from a closer relationship with Alphabet on AI chip development.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
The benefit of this is, according to Edwin Gordon’s approach, to have the child experience the whole piece first, and then learn what the song comprises in detail.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
She noted that 40% of faculty nationally are adjuncts, like many of those in the crowd, with lower pay, fewer benefits and less job security than tenured faculty.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
But Prof Ong cautions that weight-loss drugs alone aren't going to offer severely obese children the life-changing health benefits they need.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
All this together, in theory, leaves people better off - but it takes time for the benefits to be felt, and it does not necessarily benefit everyone.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
Given your grandson’s needs, ask whether a third-party special-needs trust would both protect his inheritance and preserve any potential eligibility for government benefits.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026
The American colonies passed laws barring people convicted of crimes from a wide variety of jobs and benefits, automatically dissolving their marriages and denying them the right to enter contracts.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
As a result, mug shots of many people who benefited from the law remain on its site.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
Gene White, a 28-year-old in Chicago, told MarketWatch his parents benefited from “economic serendipity.”
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026
Mayors' new powers to introduce such a levy would mean local people benefited "even more" from tourism to their area, they said.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
They have benefited from long defence and aerospace legacies, top-flight technical universities, a ready pool of talent and a supportive political climate, industry insiders say.
From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026
The rich benefited from the new industry and from Great Britain’s burgeoning empire.
From "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman
On Saturday, wildfire victims praised lawmakers who had stood up to the governor’s push for legislation benefiting the utilities.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2026
CXMT, the Chinese memory-chip producer, on Friday reported its first financials as a public company that showed that how much it is benefiting from the surge in artificial-intelligence services lifting prices.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 28, 2026
Abercrombie & Fitch said it is benefiting from tariff refunds, as well as consumers’ continued willingness to buy new clothes despite ongoing inflationary pressures.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
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
Since when did Ritu auntie think in terms of benefiting a woman’s career?
From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon
Like Arthur Fery, his 2019 Wimbledon boys' doubles partners who shot up the rankings following an unexpected run to this year's SW19 semi-finals, Samuel has benefitted from the American collegiate system.
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026
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
In the new era of revenue sharing, particularly because of NIL rights, student athletes have benefitted.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
Although slavery is mostly associated with the American South, the entire country, as it grew, benefitted from the enslavement of people, primarily Africans and African Americans.
From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
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
Bangladesh dominated Australia on day one of the first Test, despite Steve Smith benefitting from being given not out on review to a ball he later said he nicked.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
They reason that these chip companies could end up benefitting, even as AI costs go down.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
Vance is still benefitting from “Hillbilly Elegy” as well.
From Salon ● Jun. 25, 2026
The extension and enforcement of proper game laws would benefit sport directly, while indirectly benefitting all the other interests.
From Animal Sanctuaries in Labrador An Address Presented by Lt.-Colonel William Wood, F.R.S.C. before the Second Annual Meeting of the Commission of Conservation at Quebec, January, 1911 by William Charles Henry Wood
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.
