death benefit

American  

noun

1. the amount of money to be paid under the terms of an insurance policy to the designated beneficiary upon the death of the insured.

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Etymology

Origin of death benefit

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

death benefit

When he dies those will go to beneficiaries income-tax-free in the form of a death benefit.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026

“You should buy it because you want and/or need a death benefit that will last your entire life, because first and foremost, this is life insurance.”

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 16, 2026

Buyers can elect to continue the income over a spouse’s lifetime and add a death benefit for other heirs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026

Even more daunting with IUL is that if you borrow against the policy or don’t keep feeding the premiums, you can end up depleting the death benefit and the cash value.

From MarketWatch ● May 27, 2026

The unions thus differ so widely in the character of the death benefit paid that it is impossible to institute any comparison as to the relative expense of maintaining the benefit.

From Beneficiary Features of American Trade Unions by James B. Kennedy