beneficiary

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UK/ˌbɛn.ɪˈfɪʃ.əɹ.i/UK/ˌbɛn.əˈfɪʃ.əɹ.i/US/ˌbɛn.ɪˈfɪʃ.ɚ.i/US/bɛn.əˈfɪʃ.iˌɚ.i/

noun

One who benefits or receives an advantage.

“You are the lucky beneficiary of this special offer.”

Similar
doneebenefactive role
Opposite
CommonScrabble 21

Meanings

nounbeneficiary (plural beneficiaries)

plural beneficiaries

  1. One who benefits or receives an advantage.

    You are the lucky beneficiary of this special offer.

    2 more examples

    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
  2. especially trust lawOne 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.

    1 more example

    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
  3. businessOne who benefits from the payout of an insurance policy.
adjectivebeneficiary (not comparable)
  1. not comparableHolding 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

    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
  2. not comparableBestowed as a gratuity.

    beneficiary gifts

Synonyms & antonyms

Opposite

nounthe recipient of funds or other benefits

Similar

nounthe semantic role of the intended recipient who benefits from the happening denoted by the verb in the clause

Similar
benefactive role
Broader
semantic roleparticipant role

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Frenchbénéficiaire“beneficiary”
  2. Latinbeneficiarius“enjoying a favor, granted a privilege”
  3. Englishbeneficiary

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.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic مُسْتَفِيد
  • مُسْتَفِيد (mustafīd)one who receives an advantage
Bulgarian бенефициент
  • бенефициент (beneficient)one who benefits from the payout of an insurance policy
Catalan beneficiari, beneficiari
  • beneficiarione who receives an advantage
  • beneficiarione who benefits from the distribution, especially of an estate
Chinese Mandarin 受益人, 受益人
  • 受益人 (shòuyìrén)one who benefits from the distribution, especially of an estate
  • 受益人 (shòuyìrén)one who benefits from the payout of an insurance policy
Dutch begunstigde
  • begunstigdeone who benefits from the distribution, especially of an estate
Finnish edunsaaja, hyödynsaaja
  • edunsaajaone who receives an advantage
  • hyödynsaajaone who receives an advantage
  • hyötyjäone who receives an advantage
  • vastaanottajaone who receives an advantage
  • perillinenone who benefits from the distribution, especially of an estate
  • edunsaajaone who benefits from the distribution, especially of an estate
French bénéficiaire, bénéficiaire
  • bénéficiaireone who receives an advantage
  • bénéficiaireone who benefits from the distribution, especially of an estate
German Begünstigter, Nutznießer
  • Begünstigterone who receives an advantage
  • Nutznießerone who receives an advantage
  • Nutzenzieherone who receives an advantage
  • Vorteilsnehmerone who receives an advantage
  • Nutznießerone who benefits from the distribution, especially of an estate
  • Nutznießerinone who benefits from the distribution, especially of an estate
Hindi लाभार्थी, लाभार्थी
  • लाभार्थी (lābhārthī)one who receives an advantage
  • लाभार्थी (lābhārthī)one who benefits from the distribution, especially of an estate
Hungarian kedvezményezett, haszonélvező
  • kedvezményezettone who receives an advantage
  • haszonélvezőone who benefits from the distribution, especially of an estate
Italian beneficiario, beneficiaria
  • beneficiarioone who receives an advantage
  • beneficiariaone who receives an advantage
Polish beneficjent, beneficjant
  • beneficjentone who receives an advantage
  • beneficjantone who receives an advantage
  • beneficjentone who benefits from the distribution, especially of an estate
  • beneficjantone who benefits from the distribution, especially of an estate
Portuguese beneficiário, beneficiado
  • beneficiárioone who benefits from the distribution, especially of an estate
  • beneficiadoone who benefits from the distribution, especially of an estate
Russian выгодоприобрета́тель, выгодоприобрета́тельница
  • выгодоприобрета́тель (vygodopriobretátelʹ)one who receives an advantage
  • выгодоприобрета́тельница (vygodopriobretátelʹnica)one who receives an advantage
  • бенефициа́р (beneficiár)one who receives an advantage
  • выгодополуча́тель (vygodopolučátelʹ)one who receives an advantage
  • выгодополуча́тельница (vygodopolučátelʹnica)one who receives an advantage
  • бенефициа́р (beneficiár)one who benefits from the distribution, especially of an estate
  • выгодоприобрета́тель (vygodopriobretátelʹ)one who benefits from the distribution, especially of an estate
  • выгодоприобрета́тельница (vygodopriobretátelʹnica)one who benefits from the distribution, especially of an estate
  • бенефициа́рий (beneficiárij)one who benefits from the distribution, especially of an estate
Spanish beneficiario, beneficiaria
  • beneficiarioone who receives an advantage
  • beneficiariaone who receives an advantage
  • beneficiarioone who benefits from the distribution, especially of an estate
Swedish förmånstagare
  • förmånstagareone who benefits from the distribution, especially of an estate
Ukrainian бенефіціа́р, вигодонабува́ч
  • бенефіціа́р (beneficiár)one who receives an advantage
  • вигодонабува́ч (vyhodonabuváč)one who benefits from the payout of an insurance policy
Welsh buddiolwr, cymyndderbyniwr
  • buddiolwrone who receives an advantage
  • cymyndderbyniwrone who benefits from the distribution, especially of an estate
Yiddish באַקומער
  • באַקומער (bakumer)one who receives an advantage
Cite this entry
APA

beneficiary. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/beneficiary

MLA

“beneficiary.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/beneficiary. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “beneficiary,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/beneficiary.

Source: beneficiary on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.