Library / English Dictionary

BENEFIT

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

Irregular inflected forms: benefitted    , benefitting   

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Something that aids or promotes well-being

Example:

for the benefit of all

Synonyms:

benefit; welfare

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("benefit" is a kind of...):

good; goodness (that which is pleasing or valuable or useful)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "benefit"):

advantage; reward (benefit resulting from some event or action)

interest; sake (a reason for wanting something done)

Derivation:

beneficial (promoting or enhancing well-being)

benefit (derive a benefit from)

benefit (be beneficial for)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A performance to raise money for a charitable cause

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("benefit" is a kind of...):

performance; public presentation (a dramatic or musical entertainment)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "benefit"):

benefit concert (a concert given for the benefit of some charitable cause)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Financial assistance in time of need

Classified under:

Nouns denoting possession and transfer of possession

Hypernyms ("benefit" is a kind of...):

payment (a sum of money paid or a claim discharged)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "benefit"):

stock option (a benefit given by a company to an employee in the form of an option to buy stock in the company at a discount or at a fixed price)

cost-of-living benefit (a benefit that goes to anyone whose money receipts increase automatically as prices rise)

death benefit (insurance or pension money payable to a beneficiary of a deceased)

disability benefit (insurance benefits paid in case of disability)

sick benefit; sickness benefit (money paid (by the government) to someone who is too ill to work)

fringe benefit; perk; perquisite (an incidental benefit awarded for certain types of employment (especially if it is regarded as a right))

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Derive a benefit from

Example:

She profited from his vast experience

Synonyms:

benefit; gain; profit

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Hypernyms (to "benefit" is one way to...):

acquire; get (come into the possession of something concrete or abstract)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "benefit"):

cash in on (take advantage of or capitalize on)

profiteer (make an unreasonable profit, as on the sale of difficult to obtain goods)

capitalise; capitalize; take advantage (draw advantages from)

pyramid (enlarge one's holdings on an exchange on a continued rise by using paper profits as margin to buy additional amounts)

clear; net; sack; sack up (make as a net profit)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

benefit (something that aids or promotes well-being)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Be beneficial for

Example:

This will do you good

Synonyms:

benefit; do good

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Hypernyms (to "benefit" is one way to...):

aid; help (improve the condition of)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Derivation:

beneficent (doing or producing good)

benefit (something that aids or promotes well-being)

Credits

 Context examples: 

The Phase 2 study may inform who may benefit from peanut OIT and what changes in this experimental treatment should be implemented.

(Few people with peanut allergy tolerate peanut after stopping oral immunotherapy, National Institutes of Health)

“And the highest, finest, right conduct,” I interjected, “is that act which benefits at the same time the man, his children, and his race.”

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

I don't know how the household furniture came to be sold for the family benefit, or who sold it, except that I did not.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Breastfeeding offers many benefits to your baby.

(Breastfeeding, NIH: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)

Its mandate is to translate the findings of basic research into treatments that can benefit patients.

(Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, NCI Thesaurus)

He held the lamp close to them, indicating them with his toe for his employer's benefit—a steel dog-chain and a stout club.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

There are medical benefits and risks to circumcision.

(Circumcision, NIH)

The adventure of the night does not seem to have harmed her; on the contrary, it has benefited her, for she looks better this morning than she has done for weeks.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

But Pedišić said the study suggested even slightly less time spent running could produce similar benefits when it came to the risk of early death.

(Reduce Risk of Early Death with Any Amount of Running, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

Children living with HIV in Brazil are to benefit from the introduction of a new medicine manufactured with groundbreaking technology.

(New HIV medicine under development for children in Brazil, Agência Brasil/EBC)