benefit
Americannoun
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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
- 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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Doctors — who stood to benefit by being able to bill for the procedures — would have gifts dropped off at the office, the ex-employees said.
From Los Angeles Times
"We get a rise on our pension but it gets taken off you by food, petrol and everything else going up all the time so really you don't benefit," he said.
From BBC
Some assume that a generous maternity or paternity leave policy benefits an infant, because it allows a parent to be at home for more time during their child's crucial first year of development.
From BBC
If family contributions, employer benefits, philanthropic general contributions, and states and cities match the scale, longer term inflows could be even higher, Jefferies added.
From Barron's
His Full Retirement Age was 66 and his intent was to retire at 70 and claim Social Security benefit at that time.
From MarketWatch
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.
