beneficiary

American  

[ben-uh-fish-ee-er-ee, -fish-uh-ree] / ˌbɛn əˈfɪʃ iˌɛr i, -ˈfɪʃ ə ri /

noun

beneficiaries plural

1. a person or group that receives benefits, profits, or advantages.

2. a person designated as the recipient of funds or other property under a will, trust, insurance policy, etc.

3. Ecclesiastical. the holder of a benefice.

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beneficiary British  

/ ˌbɛnɪˈfɪʃərɪ /

noun

1. a person who gains or benefits in some way from something

2. law a person entitled to receive funds or other property under a trust, will, or insurance policy

3. the holder of an ecclesiastical or other benefice

4. a person who receives government assistance

   social security beneficiary

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adjective

1. of or relating to a benefice or the holder of a benefice

beneficiary Cultural  

1. The recipient of funds, property, or other benefits from an insurance policy, will, trust, or other settlement.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• prebeneficiary
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• beneficiaries
  plural

Etymology

Origin of beneficiary

First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin beneficiārius, from benefici(um) benefice + -ārius -ary

Explanation

A beneficiary is simply the recipient of money or other benefits. So when your big sister finally moves away to college and you get to move into her bigger bedroom? You become a lucky beneficiary. In other words — if you benefit from something, you are a beneficiary. This word pops up most commonly when people are creating their wills and trusts — you have to choose beneficiaries as the people who will get what you have when you die. But it isn't always so morbid. You can be the beneficiary of someone's kindness, the beneficiary of a good education, or even the beneficiary of your own hard work.

Example Sentences

As an electric two-wheeler maker, Ather Energy is expected to be a key beneficiary of this trend, they add.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 9, 2026

Japan’s Nikkei Stock Average, another beneficiary of the AI trade, declined 1.3% as Tokyo Electron 8035 -3.57%decrease; red down pointing triangle shed 2.45% and Kioxia Holdings 285A -11.13%decrease; red down pointing triangle dived 11%.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 7, 2026

The survey respondents wanted financial advisers to be able to help with beneficiary designations, tax strategies and coordination with any other services they might need in order to draft documents.

From MarketWatch • Jul. 6, 2026

“Applied Aerospace & Defense should be a major beneficiary of rebuilding the Arsenal of Freedom, with a proven track record of delivering high-consequence complex sub-systems at scale.”

From Barron's • Jun. 29, 2026

He was, like so many fortunate Americans, a big beneficiary of Metcalfe’s law.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

Related Words

• heir
• recipient