Meanings
benedict1
plural benedicts
- rareA newly married man, especially one who was previously a confirmed bachelor.
The benedict, drearily superfluous to the festivities, had hardly been noticed by her as he lurked about the walls and sought what entertainment was possible to one under the social disabilities of matrimony.
1891, Mary Noailles Murfree, In the "Stranger Poeple's" Country, Nebraska, published 2005, page 501 more example
A quarter of a mile inland we came upon the holluschickie -- sleek young bulls, living out the loneliness of their bachelorhood and gathering strength against the day when they would fight their way into the ranks of the benedicts
1904, Jack London, chapter 30, in The Sea-Wolf (Macmillan’s Standard Library), New York, N.Y.: Grosset & Dunlap, →OCLC
benedict2
comparative more benedict · superlative most benedict
- obsoleteHaving mild and salubrious qualities.
And it is not a ſmall thing won in Phyſick, if you can make rhubarb, and other medicines that are benedict, as ſtrong purgers, as thoſe that are not without ſome malignity.
1622, Francis Bacon, “Natural History”, in The Works of Francis Bacon, Baron of Verulam, Viscount St. Alban, volume 3, published 1740, page 5
present singular third person benedicts · participle present benedicting · participle past benedicted · past benedicted
- rareto bless.
As a result of this act he was benedicted with more honours by the Mughal court.
1983, Kalyan Kumar Ganguli, Cultural History of Rajasthan, page 545 more examples
Now, dis explanation o' de rose dance ain't on my own account, for I des' now tol' yer dat, so far as I'm concerned, it wouldn't make no diff'ence to me if I'd 'a' been requi'ed to go to hell for her — I'd 'a' went — in joy — for de fulfilment o' de love which Gord A'mighty done benedicted my heart wid.
1905, Ruth McEnery Stuart, The Second Wooing of Salina Sue, and Other Stories, page 181Rukmini, the goddess of fortune, was already personally obliged to stay as a guest in the brahmana's house in order to benedict him with great fortune.
1979, Satsvarūpa Dāsa Gosvāmī, A handbook for Kṛṣṇa consciousness, page 168George Washington benedicted the Hebrew congregation in Savannah using the example of Israel as a paradigm for America: May the same wonder-working Deity, who long since delivered the Hebrews from their Egyptian oppressors, planted them in a promised land, whose providential agency has lately been conspicuous in establishing these United States as an independent nation still continue to water them with the dews of Heaven and to make the inhabitants of every denomination participate in the temporal and spiritual blessings of that people, whose God is Jehovah.
1994, Charles Brock, Mosaics of the American Dream, page 41At the beginning of the nineties, especially during the Peterle government, it seemed as if ecclesiastic figues would start appearing and benedicting public events. After certain protests were made, especially after the opening of a motorway was benedicted, this practice seems to be fading away.
1999, Facta Universitatis: Series philosophy and sociologyThe spiritually mature person interacts with others for the purpose of benedicting them spiritually, not for his own social or psychological needs.
2001, Leslie Reynolds, Spiritual Maturity: The Whole Elephant, page 150Antonyms: maledict
- To poach and serve on an English muffin with ham or bacon and hollandaise sauce.
I can scramble them, poach them, Benedict them, and make them into omelets.
2003, Beth Goldner, Wake: Stories, page 1072 more examples
His pancakes were never just ordinary pancakes: they were airy creations mushroomed in sauce, or they were crepes suzette. Eggs were shirred, mornayed or benedicted.
1965, The Reader's Digest - Volume 86, page 246I love thee raw, baked, soft-boiled, hard-boiled, poached, scrambled, sauteed, fried, shirred, deviled, creamed, curried, coddled, glazed, pickled, Benedicted, or Scotched . . . in omelets and souffle/s and quiches of infinite variety ...in mayonnaise and hollandaise and be/arnaise. . .
1985, Hans Fisher, Eugene Boe, The Rutgers Guide to Lowering Your Cholesterol, page 59
Benedict3
plural Benedicts · alternative obsolete Bene't
- countableA male given name from Latin, particularly of the sixth-century founder of the Benedictine order, and of several popes.
- countableA surname originating as a patronymic.
- A placename:
- countableuncountableA minor city in Wilson County, Kansas, United States, named after S. S. Benedict.
- countableuncountableA census-designated place in Maryland, United States.
- countableuncountableA village in Nebraska, United States.
- countableuncountableA city and village in North Dakota, United States.
Synonyms & antonyms
verbto bless.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna newly married man (especially one who has long been a bachelor)
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
benedict · noun
From Benedicke (normalized to the usual spelling, Benedict), a character in William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing (1598).
Full word history & related roots →benedict · adjective, verb
- Latinbenedictus
- Englishbenedict
From Latin benedictus, past participle of benedicere (“to bless”). See benison. Doublet of bennet.
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Benedict · proper noun
- Latinbenedīcō“to bless, to speak well of”
- Late LatinBenedictus
- EnglishBenedict
From Saint Benedict, founder of the Benedictine Order, from Late Latin Benedictus, from benedictus (“blessed, well spoken of”), from Latin benedīcō (“to bless, to speak well of”). Doublet of Bennett, Benoit, and Benito.
More words from Late Latin, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek Εὔφημος
- Εὔφημος (Eúphēmos)equivalent male given name
Bulgarian Бенеди́кт
- Бенеди́кт (Benedíkt)equivalent male given name
Catalan Benet
- Benetequivalent male given name
Chinese Mandarin 本尼迪克特, 本篤 /本笃
- 本尼迪克特equivalent male given name
- 本篤 /本笃 (Běndú)equivalent male given name
Czech Benedikt
- Benediktequivalent male given name
Danish Bent
- Bentequivalent male given name
Esperanto Benedikto
- Benediktoequivalent male given name
Finnish Pentti
- Penttiequivalent male given name
French Benoît, Benoît
- Benoîtequivalent male given name
- Benoîtequivalent patronymic surname
German Benedikt
- Benediktequivalent male given name
Greek Βενέδικτος
- Βενέδικτος (Venédiktos)equivalent male given name
Hungarian Benedek
- Benedekequivalent male given name
Icelandic Benedikt
- Benediktequivalent male given name
Irish Beinidict
- Beinidictequivalent male given name
Italian Benedetto, Benito
- Benedettoequivalent male given name
- Benitoequivalent male given name
Japanese ベネディクト
- ベネディクト (Benedikuto)equivalent male given name
Korean 베네딕토
- 베네딕토 (Benedikto)equivalent male given name
Latin Benedictus
- Benedictusequivalent male given name
Latvian Benedikts
- Benediktsequivalent male given name
Lithuanian Benediktas
- Benediktasequivalent male given name
Māori Penetito, Penetiki
- Penetitoequivalent male given name
- Penetikiequivalent male given name
Norwegian Bendik
- Bendikequivalent male given name
Polish Benedykt
- Benedyktequivalent male given name
Portuguese Benedito, Bento
- Beneditoequivalent male given name
- Bentoequivalent male given name
Romanian Benedict
- Benedictequivalent male given name
Russian Венедикт
- Венедикт (Venedikt)equivalent male given name
Slovak Benedikt
- Benediktequivalent male given name
Spanish Benedicto, Benito
- Benedictoequivalent male given name
- Benitoequivalent male given name
- Benicioequivalent male given name
Swedish Bengt
- Bengtequivalent male given name
Vietnamese Biển Đức, Bênêđictô
- Biển Đứcequivalent male given name
- Bênêđictôequivalent male given name
Cite this entry
benedict. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/benedict
“benedict.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/benedict. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “benedict,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/benedict.
Source: benedict on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.