be|nefi|cent /b I ne f I s ə nt/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] A beneficent person or thing helps people or results in something good. [FORMAL ] □  …optimism about the beneficent effects of new technology.

ben|efi|cial /be n I f I ʃ ə l/ ADJ Something that is beneficial helps people or improves their lives. □ [+ to ] …vitamins which are beneficial to our health. □  Using computers has a beneficial effect on children's learning.

bene|fi|ciary /be n I f I ʃəri, [AM ] -ʃieri/ (beneficiaries )

1 N‑COUNT Someone who is a beneficiary of something is helped by it. □ [+ of ] The main beneficiaries of pension equality so far seem to have been men.

2 N‑COUNT The beneficiaries of a will are legally entitled to receive money or property from someone when that person dies.

ben|efit ◆◆◇ /be n I f I t/ (benefits , benefiting or benefitting , benefited or benefitted )

1 N‑VAR The benefit of something is the help that you get from it or the advantage that results from it. □ [+ of ] Each family farms individually and reaps the benefit of its labor. □ [+ of ] I'm a great believer in the benefits of this form of therapy. □  For maximum benefit, use your treatment every day.

2 N‑UNCOUNT [oft with poss] If something is to your benefit or is of benefit to you, it helps you or improves your life. □  This could now work to Albania's benefit. □ [+ to ] I hope what I have written will be of benefit to someone else who may feel the same way.

3 VERB If you benefit from something or if it benefits you, it helps you or improves your life. □ [V + from ] Both sides have benefited from the talks. □ [V n] …a variety of government programs benefiting children. [Also V ]

4 N‑UNCOUNT If you have the benefit of some information, knowledge, or equipment, you are able to use it so that you can achieve something. □ [+ of ] Steve didn't have the benefit of a formal college education.

5 N‑VAR [oft on N ] Benefit is money that is given by the government to people who are poor, ill, or unemployed. □  …the removal of benefit from school-leavers.

6 N‑COUNT [oft N n] A benefit , or a benefit concert or dinner, is an event that is held in order to raise money for a particular charity or person. □  I am organising a benefit gig in Bristol to raise these funds.

7 → see also fringe benefit , unemployment benefit

8 PHRASE If you give someone the benefit of the doubt , you treat them as if they are telling the truth or as if they have behaved properly, even though you are not sure that this is the case. □  At first I gave him the benefit of the doubt.

9 PHRASE If you say that someone is doing something for the benefit of a particular person, you mean that they are doing it for that person. □  You need people working for the benefit of the community. COLLOCATIONS benefit NOUN

1

verb + benefit : gain, obtain, reap; enjoy

5

noun + benefit : disability, housing, sickness, unemployment, welfare

adjective + benefit : in-work, means-tested, out-of-work

verb + benefit : claim, receive VERB 3

benefit+ adverb : enormously, greatly, hugely; financially; disproportionately

Bene|lux /be n I lʌks/ ADJ [ADJ n] The Benelux countries are Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.

be|nevo|lent /b I ne vələnt/

1 ADJ If you describe a person in authority as benevolent , you mean that they are kind and fair. □  The company has proved to be a most benevolent employer. ●  be|nevo|lent|ly ADV [ADV with v] □  Thorne nodded his understanding, smiling benevolently. ●  be|nevo|lence N‑UNCOUNT □  A bit of benevolence from people in power is not what we need.

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