Meanings
nounbeneffectance (uncountable)
- uncountablehuman sciencesPerception of responsibility for desired outcomes, but not for undesired ones.
Origin
Blend of beneficence + effectance. Coined by psychologist Anthony Greenwald in 1980.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
beneffectance. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/beneffectance
MLA
“beneffectance.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/beneffectance. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “beneffectance,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/beneffectance.
Source: beneffectance on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.