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View synonyms for benefit

benefit

[ ben-uh-fit ]

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.


verb (used with object)

, ben·e·fit·ed or ben·e·fit·ted, ben·e·fit·ing or ben·e·fit·ting.
  1. to do good to; be of service to:

    a health program to benefit everyone.

verb (used without object)

, ben·e·fit·ed or ben·e·fit·ted, ben·e·fit·ing or ben·e·fit·ting.
  1. to derive benefit or advantage; profit; make improvement:

    He has never benefited from all that experience.

benefit

/ ˈbɛnɪfɪt /

noun

  1. something that improves or promotes
  2. advantage or sake

    this is for your benefit

    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
  3. 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
  4. a theatrical performance, sports event, etc, to raise money for a charity
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


verb

  1. to do or receive good; profit
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other Words From

  • ben·e·fit·er ben·e·fit·ter noun
  • pre·ben·e·fit verb prebenefited or prebenefitted prebenefiting or prebenefitting
  • self-ben·e·fit noun
  • self-ben·e·fit·ing self-ben·e·fit·ting adjective
  • su·per·ben·e·fit noun
  • un·ben·e·fit·ed un·ben·e·fit·ted adjective
  • un·ben·e·fit·ing un·ben·e·fit·ting adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of benefit1

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 )
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Word History and Origins

Origin of benefit1

C14: from Anglo-French benfet , from Latin benefactum , from bene facere to do well
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Idioms and Phrases

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.

More idioms and phrases containing benefit

see give the benefit .
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Example Sentences

The risks of opening are uncertain, but the benefits are clear.

From Vox

One benefit of this setup, called a “stepped wedge trial,” is that it doesn’t relegate one block of individuals into a control group that goes without training for the duration of the study.

Unnecessary state occupational licenses—often costly, time-consuming, and offering little benefit to consumers—should be eliminated.

From Fortune

There is one additional Flex 5G feature that sets it apart from competitors, and is both a big benefit and a big downside.

From Fortune

Praising the benefits of physical exercise helps little when jogging in a nearby neighborhood could cost your life.

From Fortune

Two-thirds of those who likely to benefit from the new policy are Mexican.

Not for the benefit of the harasser, of course, but for your own safety.

When the audience laughed he added that, “They think freedom would benefit them but they were cheated.”

And in either case, “the significant benefit from allowing Wi-Fi hotspots outweighs these concerns.”

“Hence, there might be a net benefit, at least to some females, of breeding within the natal group,” the researchers speculate.

As he walked back to his hotel, his head was full of plans for the girl's transient pleasure and lasting benefit.

Mr. Spurrell came down to see a horse, and we shall be very glad to have the benefit of his opinion by-and-by.

These oral inanities only served to make Lyn give me the benefit of a look of amused wonder.

Once he permitted himself a digression, that he might point a moral for the benefit of his servant.

This lesson in figures is given for the benefit of those who have not yet mastered Numeric Thinking.

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When To Use

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

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.

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beneficiatebenefit in kind