Other forms: benefits, benefited, benefiting, benefitted, benefitting
A benefit is money paid by the state to people who qualify for it. Housing benefit, claim benefits, on benefits.
In Britain the plural benefits covers the whole system of state payments, and the language around it is politically charged — benefit claimant, benefit cuts, the benefits system. In American English the equivalent is usually welfare. The other main sense is an advantage: the benefits of exercise, of no benefit, for the benefit of. And employee benefits are the non-wage extras of a job. Note the phrase the benefit of the doubt.
1nounbenefitMoney paid by the state to those who qualify.
“Housing benefit covered about half the rent.”
2noungoodAn advantage or good effect.
“The benefits of the change took three years to show.”
3verbgainTo gain an advantage from something.
“Everybody benefited except the people it was written for.”
Too few real examples of this word to estimate which sense is commonest.
benefit is an advantage or payment.
Latin bene factum means a good deed. The word arrived meaning a kindness done, and the modern senses split from there — an advantage received, and a payment made. All of them keep the good deed inside.
Proto-Indo-European
*dʰeh₁-
Old French
bienfet
Middle French
bienfait
Anglo-Norman
benfet — well-done
Middle English
benefytt
English, today
benefit
Built from
From Late Middle English benefytt, benefett, alteration (due to Latin bene-) of benfet, bienfet, bienfait (“good or noble deed”), from Anglo-Norman benfet (“well-done”), Middle French bienfait, from Old French bienfet, bienfait (“foredeal, favour”), from past participle of bienfaire (“to do good, do well”), from bien (“well”) + faire (“to do”), modelled after Latin benefactum (“good deed”). More at benefactor.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA