noun
benefit
BEHN-ih-fiht
noun
1
An advantage, gain, or help that comes from something.
"One benefit of working from home is skipping the commute."
"The medicine has few side effects and clear benefits."
2
A payment provided under an insurance policy or government support scheme.
"He claims unemployment benefit while job hunting."
verb
1
To gain an advantage; to be helped by something.
"Students benefit from smaller class sizes."
"Everyone benefited from the extra day off."
How to Use Benefit
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSomething good you gain, or the act of gaining something good from a situation.
UK vs US
In British English, "benefits" commonly refers to state welfare payments ("claiming benefits"); American English tends to say "welfare" or name the specific program instead.
Common pairings
give someone the benefit of the doubt
health benefits
claim benefits
Word Forms
benefited past tense, benefitted past tense, benefits plural, benefits singular
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “benefit”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
One _____ of working from home is skipping the commute.
Etymology
From Old French bienfait, "good deed," from bien ("well") and faire ("to do"), modeled on Latin benefactum — the same root as "benefactor."