beneficiary
English · Thesaurus
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beneficiary
- /ˌbɛn.ɪˈfɪʃ.əɹ.i/ UK
- /ˌbɛn.əˈfɪʃ.əɹ.i/ UK
- /ˌbɛn.ɪˈfɪʃ.ɚ.i/ US
- /bɛn.əˈfɪʃ.iˌɚ.i/ US
Where it comes from
From Latin beneficiarius (“enjoying a favor, granted a privilege”) from beneficium (“benefit”), perhaps via or influenced by French bénéficiaire (“beneficiary”). Indirectly, by way of the etymology of the Latin word beneficium, the English word beneficiary ultimately has the same origin as the English word benefactor, its near antonym.
noun beneficiaries
- One who benefits or receives an advantage. You are the lucky beneficiary of this special offer.
- One who benefits from the distribution, especially out of a trust or estate. If any beneficiary does not survive the settlor for a period of 30 days then the trustee shall distribute that beneficiary’s share to the surviving beneficiaries by right of representation.
- One who benefits from the payout of an insurance policy.
Opposite: maleficiary
adjective
- Holding some office or valuable possession, in subordination to another; holding under a feudal or other superior; having a dependent and secondary possession. a feudatory or beneficiary king of England
- Bestowed as a gratuity. beneficiary gifts
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: donee, benefit, beneficial, benefactor, trust, grant, eligible, reception, receiving, proponent, recipient, ben, gaining, receipt, winner, claimant
noun
Opposite: maleficiary
Translations
Every language
noun one who receives an advantage
| Español | beneficiario, beneficiaria |
|---|---|
| हिन्दी | लाभार्थी lābhārthī |
| Français | bénéficiaire |
| Deutsch | Begünstigter, Nutznießer, Nutzenzieher, Vorteilsnehmer |
| Italiano | beneficiario, beneficiaria |
| Русский | выгодоприобрета́тель vygodopriobretátelʹ, выгодоприобрета́тельница vygodopriobretátelʹnica, бенефициа́р beneficiár, выгодополуча́тель vygodopolučátelʹ, выгодополуча́тельница vygodopolučátelʹnica |
| العربية | مُسْتَفِيد mustafīd |
noun one who benefits from the distribution, especially of an estate
| Español | beneficiario |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 受益人 shòuyìrén |
| हिन्दी | लाभार्थी lābhārthī |
| Português | beneficiário, beneficiado |
| Français | bénéficiaire |
| Deutsch | Nutznießer, Nutznießerin |
| Русский | бенефициа́р beneficiár, выгодоприобрета́тель vygodopriobretátelʹ, выгодоприобрета́тельница vygodopriobretátelʹnica, бенефициа́рий beneficiárij |
noun one who benefits from the payout of an insurance policy
| 中文 | 受益人 shòuyìrén |
|---|
Talk about this word "beneficiary." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/beneficiary. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. beneficiary. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/beneficiary "beneficiary." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/beneficiary.Cite this
@misc{beneficiary_2026,
title = {beneficiary},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/beneficiary},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
