benefit
Americannoun
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benefits
plural
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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
Derived Forms
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benefiternoun
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benefitternoun
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self-benefitnoun
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superbenefitnoun
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prebenefitverb
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self-benefitingadjective
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self-benefittingadjective
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unbenefitedadjective
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unbenefitingadjective
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unbenefittedadjective
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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
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Academic Vocabulary Toolkit 1, Words 11-20
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"The Perils of Indifference," Vocabulary from the speech
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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:
It would benefit traditional newspapers as well as other sources of local news, including the growing number of independent nonprofit newsrooms popping up in communities around the state.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
Jens-Frederik Nielsen, Greenland’s leader, said “the agreement recognizes Greenland’s interests and our place in international cooperation. This is to the benefit of us all.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Maintaining an openness to people — and a willingness to strengthen connections with everyone from distant or estranged family members to friends, acquaintances and strangers — enables you to benefit from more social interaction.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026
Later research also complicates the idea that increasing D-serine should always benefit an aging brain.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026
Critical evidence: How the arts benefit student achievement.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
"Nobody's tough enough to deal with the immigration problem. Nobody's tough enough to deal with the benefits problem. But somebody needs to do it," he said.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
"We know these drugs improve health outcomes, and there's been a great deal of research documenting those benefits," said Kaestner, a research professor.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026
It’s because he is enjoying the benefits of an arrangement where he can have it all.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
Manufacturers counter with front-of-the-package labeling that highlights added vitamins and minerals or the “heart healthy” benefits of supplied fiber.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
Chief Crowe puts her arm around Elsie onstage and speaks briefly about the diversity benefits of having members who aren’t fully human—she herself is half Atlantian.
From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston
Browne has benefited from the addition of two premier slot receivers in Florida Atlantic transfer Asaad Waseem and Iowa State transfer Xavier Townsend.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
Sentiment benefited from continued resilience of the Eurozone’s largest economy, despite the impact of the Middle East conflict on energy prices.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
It would have also benefited from parts of the EU budget, but without full voting rights.
From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026
He said that the yen has benefited from devaluation and the Bank of Japan’s having kept interest rates at or less than zero for some 25 years.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
Would you believe that Agent 86 lost his shoe phone? benefited.
From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner
High oil prices are benefiting producers—even some of those dependent on the Strait of Hormuz—by offsetting lower export volumes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
One billion people — mostly English speakers — are benefiting from improving AI systems, while another 7 billion are largely left behind, the report said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
My partner started doing it and I saw how much he was benefiting from it, so I decided to go and take the course and just loved it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026
The fund follows William's decision to stop personally benefiting from the £1.5m annual rent generated by Dartmoor Prison, with the funding redirected into the local community.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
No one had any doubt that it was not the animals but their owners who were benefiting from the law.
From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler
Meanwhile, Hosseini noted that logic chips, such as central processing units, have also benefitted from rising average prices, though “recent trends suggest a period of stabilization.”
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026
Bitcoin has, along with gold and silver, also benefitted from the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
"If we had started this years ago, everyone would have benefitted," he said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 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
Accelerating demand for traditional and AI servers, as well as storage and networking equipment, is benefitting both Dell and HPE, Mulberry said in emailed comments.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026
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
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
Let these reflections raise you above the trifles that amuse without benefitting you.
From Sages and Heroes of the American Revolution by L. Carroll Judson
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.
