Benefit

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: Ben=e=fit

CIDE DICTIONARY

Benefit, n. [OE. benefet, benfeet, bienfet, F. bienfait, fr. L. benefactum; bene well (adv. of bonus good) + factum, p. p. of facere to do. See Bounty, and Fact.].

•  An act of kindness; a favor conferred.  [1913 Webster]

  "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits."  [1913 Webster]
•  Whatever promotes prosperity and personal happiness, or adds value to property; advantage; profit.  [1913 Webster]

  "Men have no right to what is not for their benefit."  [1913 Webster]
•  A theatrical performance, a concert, or the like, the proceeds of which do not go to the lessee of the theater or to the company, but to some individual actor, or to some charitable use.  [1913 Webster]
•  Beneficence; liberality.  Webster (1623).  [1913 Webster]
•  Natural advantages; endowments; accomplishments.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]

Benefit of clergy. (Law) See under Clergy.

Syn. -- Profit; service; use; avail. See Advantage.

Benefit, v. t. 

 To be beneficial to; to do good to; to advantage; to advance in health or prosperity; to be useful to; to profit.  [1913 Webster]
"I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them."  [1913 Webster]

Benefit, v. i. 

 To gain advantage; to make improvement; to profit; as, he will benefit by the change.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Benefit, n. & v.
--n.
1 a favourable or helpful factor or circumstance; advantage, profit.
2 (often in pl.) payment made under insurance or social security (sickness benefit).
3 a public performance or game of which the proceeds go to a particular player or company or charitable cause.
--v. (benefited, benefiting; US benefitted, benefitting)
1 tr. do good to; bring advantage to.
2 intr. (often foll. by from, by) receive an advantage or gain.

Idiom

benefit of clergy
1 hist. exemption of the English tonsured clergy and nuns from the jurisdiction of the ordinary civil courts.
2 ecclesiastical sanction or approval (marriage without benefit of clergy). the benefit of the doubt a concession that a person is innocent, correct, etc., although doubt exists. benefit society a society for mutual insurance against illness or the effects of old age.

Etymology

ME f. AF benfet, OF bienfet, f. L benefactum f. bene facere do well

THESAURUS

Benefit

abet, absolute interest, account, act of grace, act of kindness, advance, advantage, aid, allowances, ameliorate, answer, assist, assistance, avail, bail out, be handy, be of use, be right, bear a hand, befit, befitting, befriend, behalf, behoof, benediction, benefaction, benefits, benevolence, benignity, benison, bestead, better, bill, blessing, boon, break no bones, build, claim, comfort, common, confer a benefit, contingent interest, contribute to, convenience, courtesy, debut, do, do a favor, do a kindness, do good, do no harm, do the trick, doctor, ease, easement, entertainment, equitable interest, equity, estate, exhibit, exhibition, farewell performance, favor, fill the bill, fit, flesh show, forward, further, gain, give a boost, give a hand, give a lift, give good returns, give help, godsend, good, good deed, good offices, good turn, grace, help, holding, improve, interest, kind deed, kind offices, kindly act, kindness, labor of love, lend a hand, lend one aid, limitation, manna, mercy, ministration, ministry, mitzvah, not come amiss, obligation, office, offices, part, pay, pay off, percentage, performance, perks, perquisites, point, premiere, presentation, presentment, production, proffer aid, profit, promote, prosperity, protect, protection, rally, reclaim, redeem, relief, relieve, remedy, render a service, render assistance, rescue, restore, resuscitate, revive, right, right of entry, sake, save, serve, serve the purpose, service, set up, settlement, show, stage presentation, stake, strict settlement, succor, suffice, suit the occasion, support, swan song, take in tow, theatrical performance, therapy, title, trust, tryout, turn, use, value, vested interest, welfare, well-being, work, work for, world of good, worth, yield a profit

ROGET THESAURUS

Benefit

Good

N good, benefit, advantage, improvement, greatest good, supreme good, interest, service, behoof, behalf, weal, main chance, summum bonum, common weal, consummation devoutly to be wished, gain, boot, profit, harvest, boon, good turn, blessing, world of good, piece of good luck, piece of good fortune, nuts, prize, windfall, godsend, waif, treasure-trove, good fortune, happiness, goodness, utility, remedy, pleasure giving, commendable, useful, good, beneficial, well, aright, satisfactorily, favorably, not amis, all for the best, to one's advantage, in one's favor, in one's interest, so far so good, magnum bonum.

Utility

VB be useful, avail, serve, subserve, conduce, answer, serve one's turn, answer a purpose, serve a purpose, act a part, perform a function, discharge a function, render a service, render good service, render yeoman's service, bestead, stand one in good stead be the making of, help, bear fruit, bring grist to the mill, profit, remunerate, benefit, find one's account in, find one's advantage in, reap the benefit of, render useful.

Goodness

VB be beneficial, produce good, do good, profit, benefit, confer a benefit, be the making of, do a world of good, make a man of, produce a good effect, do a good turn, confer an obligation, improve, do no harm, break no bones, be good, excel, transcend, bear away the bell, stand the proof, stand the test, pass muster, pass an examination, challenge comparison, vie, emulate, rival.

Use

N use, employ, employment, exercise, exercitation, application, appliance, adhibition, disposal, consumption, agency, usufruct, usefulness, benefit, recourse, resort, avail, utilization, service, wear, usage, in use, used, well-worn, well-trodden, useful, subservient.

Aid

VB aid, assist, help, succor, lend one's aid, come to the aid, of, contribute, subscribe to, bring aid, give aid, furnish aid, afford aid, supply aid, give a helping hand, stretch a hand, lend a helping hand, lend a hand, bear a helping hand, hold out a hand, hold out a helping hand, give one a life, give one a cast, give one a turn, take by the hand, take in tow, help a lame dog over a stile, lend wings to, relieve, rescue, set up, set agoing, set on one's legs, bear through, pull through, give new life to, be the making of, reinforce, reenforce, recruit, set forward, put forward, push forward, give a lift, give a shove, give an impulse to, promote, further, forward, advance expedite, speed, quicken, hasten, support, sustain, uphold, prop, hold up, bolster, cradle, nourish, nurture, nurse, dry nurse, suckle, put out to nurse, manure, cultivate, force, foster, cherish, foment, feed the flame, fan the flame, serve, do service to, tender to, pander to, administer to, subminister to, minister to, tend, attend, wait on, take care of, entertain, smooth the bed of death, oblige, accommodate, consult the wishes of, humor, cheer, encourage, second, stand by, back, back up, pay the piper, abet, work for, make interest for, stick up for, take up the cudgels for, take up the cause of, espouse the cause of, adopt the cause of, advocate, beat up for recruits, press into the service, squire, give moral support to, keep in countenance, countenance, patronize, lend oneself to, lend one's countenance to, smile upon, shine upon, favor, befriend, take in hand, enlist under the banners of, side with, be of use to, subserve, benefit, render a service, conduce.

Acquisition

N acquisition, gaining, obtainment, procuration, procurement, purchase, descent, inheritance, gift, recovery, retrieval, revendication, replevin, restitution, redemption, salvage, trover, find, trouvaille, foundling, gain, thrift, money-making, money grubbing, lucre, filthy lucre, pelf, loaves and fishes, the main chance, emolument, profit, earnings, winnings, innings, pickings, net profit, avails, income, proceeds, produce, product, outcome, output, return, fruit, crop, harvest, second crop, aftermath, benefit, sweepstakes, trick, prize, pool, pot, wealth, subreption, obreption, stealing, acquiring, acquired, profitable, advantageous, gainful, remunerative, paying, lucrative, lucri causa.

Property

N property, possession, suum cuique, meum et tuum, ownership, proprietorship, lordship, seignority, empire, interest, stake, estate, right, title, claim, demand, holding, tenure, vested interest, contingent interest, beneficial interest, equitable interest, use, trust, benefit, legal estate, equitable estate, seizin, seisin, absolute interest, paramount estate, freehold, fee tail, fee simple, estate in fee, estate in tail, estate tail, estate in tail male, estate in tail female, estate in tail general, limitation, term, lease, settlement, strict settlement, particular estate, estate for life, estate for years, estate pur autre vie, remainder, reversion, expectancy, possibility, dower, dowry, jointure, appanage, inheritance, heritage, patrimony, alimony, legacy, Falcidian law, paternal estate, thirds, assets, belongings, means, resources, circumstances, wealth, money, what one is worth, what one will cut up for, estate and effects, landed property, landed real estate property, realty, land, lands, tenements, hereditaments, corporeal hereditaments, incorporeal hereditaments, acres, ground, acquest, messuage, toft, territory, state, kingdom, principality, realm, empire, protectorate, sphere of influence, manor, honor, domain, demesne, farm, plantation, hacienda, allodium, fief, fieff, feoff, feud, zemindary, dependency, arado, merestead, ranch, free lease-holds, copy lease-holds, folkland, chattels real, fixtures, plant, heirloom, easement, right of common, right of user, personal property, personal estate, personal effects, personalty, chattels, goods, effects, movables, stock, stock in trade, things, traps, rattletraps, paraphernalia, equipage, parcels, appurtenances, impedimenta, luggage, baggage, bag and baggage, pelf, cargo, lading, rent roll, income, maul and wedges, patent, copyright, chose in action, credit, debt, one's own, landed, predial, manorial, allodial, free lease-hold, copy lease-hold, feudal, feodal, to one's credit, to one's account, to the good, to one and his heirs for ever, to one and the heirs of his body, to one and his heirs and assigns, to one and his executors administrators and assign.

Benevolence

VB be benevolent, have one's heart in the right place, bear good will, wish well, wish Godspeed, view with an eye of favor, regard with an eye of favor, take in good part, take an interest in, feel an interest in, be interested in, feel interested in, sympathize with, empathize with, feel for, fraternize, enter into the feelings of others, do as you would be done by, meet halfway, treat well, give comfort, smooth the bed of death, do good, do a good turn, benefit, render a service, be of use, aid.