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:
The company’s benefit ratio, which measures the proportion of premium revenue paid out to cover medical costs, was 93.7%, compared with analyst views for 94.2%.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
Read more: Who will benefit more from AI agents when it comes to spending – companies or you?
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026
Brain blood flow improved among participants carrying APOE4, but the same benefit was not observed in those without the gene variant.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 6, 2026
Their extensive store networks would become hubs of healthcare delivery systems that, to varying degrees, brought together insurers, pharmacy benefit management and local and regional physician groups.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026
“We thought Albie would benefit more from going to a new school,” he told Grandpa Park.
From Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff
Another avenue, she said, is to scale up existing data centers, where surrounding communities that have seen benefits in the form of job creation and tax revenue don’t require as much persuasion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
The benefits of the policy extended for generations, they say, helping the children and grandchildren of those who bought homes.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
“We have always been a pro-business state in Texas, but what changes now with me as governor is it has to be a partnership that benefits Texas,” she said.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026
Longer and larger studies are needed to determine whether the findings translate into lasting health benefits or changes in cardiovascular disease risk.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 6, 2026
The men voted to submit demands for increased wages and benefits to the packers on Saturday, July 26, and, barring a satisfactory response, to go out on strike on July 28.
From "A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919" by Claire Hartfield
In the quarter, the Bombardier delivered 33 aircraft, and benefited from a 19% rise in its Services segment revenue as its network continues to grow.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
The only other industries to show a notable increase were manufacturing and construction, both of which have benefited from a massive boom in artificial intelligence.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 3, 2026
The UK royal family benefited from the trade but Charles is politically neutral and is not expected to offer an apology.
From Barron's ● Nov. 3, 2026
Bass, for her part, benefited from $2 million in spending by the downtown-based Central City Assn. during the runoff.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 1, 2026
United among themselves, united with their own kind, they could have benefited black people all over the world!
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
Its versatility could also allow it to be incorporated into several types of dental products, potentially benefiting patients of different ages with enamel erosion, tooth sensitivity, or other problems involving exposed dentin.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 5, 2026
Economists have long warned, however, that the fruits of that growth are not being evenly distributed, with high-income households disproportionately benefiting, and also propping up consumption-led growth.
From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026
Tigress Financial Partners analyst Ivan Feinseth told MarketWatch that Microsoft and Amazon were benefiting from “a combination of post-election relief, declining policy uncertainty, renewed investor enthusiasm for AI and cloud computing and significant short covering.”
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 4, 2026
Verstappen benefiting from the internal battle to take his third win in four races.
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 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
Both producers posted a sharp increase in third-quarter earnings as their oil refining units benefitted from a spike in fuel prices related to war-related disruptions in Middle East and Russian exports.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
Caribbean nations campaigning for slavery reparations have won support from an unexpected source -- the descendants of some of Britain's most prominent families to have benefitted from the slave trade.
From Barron's ● Oct. 25, 2026
Archer benefitted from two miscues from mid-on, then came back to eventually end the Ali-Abbas last-wicket stand.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
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
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
Oil-services company Halliburton reported quarterly earnings and revenue growth, benefitting from elevated oil prices.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026
As Alonso's rivals went into the pits, the Spaniard, benefitting from the reduced gaps caused by the safety car, moved up the field and went on to win the race.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
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
Meanwhile, groups such as his are benefitting from the government brain drain.
From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026
Instead of benefitting the trachea, it produced a sympathetic affection of the stomach and diaphragm, and the oesophagus formed the medium of communication between the patient and myself.
From The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction Volume 17, No. 472, January 22, 1831 by Various
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