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beneficial

[ben-uh-fish-uh l]
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adjective
  1. conferring benefit; advantageous; helpful: the beneficial effect of sunshine.
  2. Law.
    1. helpful in the meeting of needs: a beneficial association.
    2. involving the personal enjoyment of proceeds: a beneficial owner.
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Origin of beneficial

1425–75; late Middle English < Late Latin beneficiālis, equivalent to Latin benefici(um) kindness (see benefice) + -ālis -al1
Related formsben·e·fi·cial·ly, adverbben·e·fi·cial·ness, nounnon·ben·e·fi·cial, adjectivenon·ben·e·fi·cial·ly, adverbnon·ben·e·fi·cial·ness, nounqua·si-ben·e·fi·cial, adjectivequa·si-ben·e·fi·cial·ly, adverbun·ben·e·fi·cial, adjectiveun·ben·e·fi·cial·ly, adverbun·ben·e·fi·cial·ness, noun
Can be confusedbeneficent beneficial benevolent

Synonyms

See more synonyms for beneficial on Thesaurus.com
1. salutary, wholesome, serviceable, useful, favorable, profitable.

Antonyms

1. harmful.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
British Dictionary definitions for unbeneficial

beneficial

adjective
  1. (sometimes foll by to) causing a good result; advantageous
  2. law entitling a person to receive the profits or proceeds of propertya beneficial interest in land
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Derived Formsbeneficially, adverb

Word Origin

C15: from Late Latin beneficiālis, from Latin beneficium kindness
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

Word Origin and History for unbeneficial

beneficial

adj.

mid-15c., "helpful, advantageous," from Middle French bénéficial and directly from Latin beneficialis "pertaining to a favor," from beneficium (see benefice). Related: Beneficially.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper