Beneficiary Meaning
/ˌbɛn.ɪˈfɪʃ.əɹ.i/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounOne who benefits or receives an advantage.
nounOne who benefits from the distribution, especially out of a trust or estate.
Sentence Examples
Can I write the name of the beneficiary in Russian?
Fadil took out a life insurance policy and made Layla as his beneficiary.
Who will be the main beneficiary of the cuts in income tax?
CEFR Practice Quiz
His youngest daughter was named the sole ____ of his will.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She was the main ____ of her late uncle's large and wealthy estate city.
Word Origin & History
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.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"The most obvious beneficiary of the visitors' superiority was Frank Lampard. By the end of the night he was perched 13th in the list of England's most prolific goalscorers, having leapfrogged Sir Geoff Hurst to score his 24th and 25th international goals. No other player has managed more than the Chelsea midfielder's 11 in World Cup qualification ties, with this a display to roll back the years."
— 2012 September 7, Dominic Fifield, “England start World Cup campaign with five-goal romp against Moldova”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 02 Dec 2024:
"LSC provides grants to nonprofits nationwide that in turn provide civil legal aid to those who otherwise can't afford it. The beneficiaries of LSC funding include homeless veterans, low-income workers and victims of domestic abuse."
— 2017 March 9, Jeanne Sahadi, “Lawyers fear Trump may kill legal aid funding for the poor”, in CNN Business, archived from the original on 05 May 2025:
"In a second step, the rights to the asset are divided between the trustee, who holds formal title, and the beneficiary, who receives the (future) economic interest."
— 2020, Katharina Pistor, “2: Coding Land”, in The Code of Capital […] , Princeton University Press, →ISBN:
"a feudatory or beneficiary king of England"
— a. 1627 (date written), Francis [Bacon], “Considerations Touching a Warre with Spaine. […]”, in William Rawley, editor, Certaine Miscellany Works of the Right Honourable Francis Lo. Verulam, Viscount S. Alban. […], London: […] I. Hauiland for Humphrey Robinson, […], published 1629, →OCLC:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
His youngest daughter was named the sole ____ of his will.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She was the main ____ of her late uncle's large and wealthy estate city.