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

Your husband pays $1,200 per year for a $500,000 death benefit.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 9, 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

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

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 3, 2025

Thus, both the death benefit and the insurance systems in American trade unions had their origin in the movement for mutual insurance which was so widespread in the United States immediately after the Civil War.

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