Beneficiary Definition & Meaning

American

British

Cultural

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms beneficiary American [ben-uh-fish-ee-er-ee, -fish-uh-ree] / ˌbɛn əˈfɪʃ iˌɛr i, -ˈfɪʃ ə ri /

noun

plural

beneficiaries

1. a person or group that receives benefits, profits, or advantages.

2. a person designated as the recipient of funds or other property under a will, trust, insurance policy, etc.

3. Ecclesiastical. the holder of a benefice.

beneficiary British / ˌbɛnɪˈfɪʃərɪ /

noun

1. a person who gains or benefits in some way from something

2. law a person entitled to receive funds or other property under a trust, will, or insurance policy

3. the holder of an ecclesiastical or other benefice

4. a person who receives government assistance

   social security beneficiary

"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

adjective

1. of or relating to a benefice or the holder of a benefice

"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 beneficiary Cultural

1. The recipient of funds, property, or other benefits from an insurance policy, will, trust, or other settlement.

Other Word Forms

• prebeneficiary noun

Etymology

Origin of beneficiary

First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin beneficiārius, from benefici(um) benefice + -ārius -ary

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

As beneficiaries of the trust, the men could also be paid tens of millions of dollars each from whatever remains when the claims are settled.

From BBC

Texas has been a beneficiary as more executives voice frustrations with traditional corporate havens such as Delaware and New Jersey.

From The Wall Street Journal

Potential beneficiaries of this crunch could be coal companies in South Africa, Australia, and Indonesia that Asian economies may turn to in a pinch.

From Barron's

MoffettNathanson said that unlike many of its competitors, YouTube is well positioned to “be a major beneficiary of both the structural tailwinds and headwinds facing technology and media companies.”

From MarketWatch

Survivor benefits go to eligible family members after a beneficiary dies.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• heir
• recipient

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.