beneficial

[ ben-uh-fish-uhl ]

adjective

1. conferring benefit; advantageous; helpful:

   the beneficial effect of sunshine.

   Synonyms: profitable, favorable, useful, serviceable, wholesome, salutary

   Antonyms: harmful

2. Law.
   1. helpful in the meeting of needs:

      a beneficial association.

   2. involving the personal enjoyment of proceeds:

      a beneficial owner.

beneficial

/ ˌbɛnɪˈfɪʃəl /

adjective

1. sometimes foll by to causing a good result; advantageous
2. law entitling a person to receive the profits or proceeds of property

   a beneficial interest in land

Derived Forms

• ˌbeneˈficially, adverb

Other Words From

• bene·ficial·ly adverb
• bene·ficial·ness noun
• nonben·e·ficial adjective
• nonben·e·ficial·ly adverb
• nonben·e·ficial·ness noun
• quasi-bene·ficial adjective
• quasi-bene·ficial·ly adverb
• unben·e·ficial adjective
• unben·e·ficial·ly adverb
• unben·e·ficial·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of beneficial¹

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Late Latin beneficiālis, equivalent to Latin benefici(um) “kindness” ( benefice ( def ) ) + -ālis -al ¹( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of beneficial¹

C15: from Late Latin beneficiālis , from Latin beneficium kindness

Example Sentences

Delivering therapies that directly target the bug or its toxins could potentially replace the need for antibiotics that also harm beneficial gut microbes.

From Science Daily

“We’re thinking it’s going to be more of a beneficial rain,” Lewis said, noting that it could help ease some fire concerns, but likely not eliminate those worries entirely.

From Los Angeles Times

Evolutionarily, these alternative sites may have been beneficial to soybeans and other plants because they allowed for increased complexity and adaptability under a limited genome.

From Science Daily

In a recent article, we evaluated sugar's environmental impacts and explored avenues for reducing sugar in the diet to recommended levels either through reducing production or using the saved sugar in environmentally beneficial ways.

From Salon

Prof. Chen concluded, "This innovative CoPAS model demonstrates diagnostic performance comparable to that of radiologists. It is particularly beneficial in bridging the gap between less experienced and senior doctors."

From Science Daily

Related Words

• benign
• constructive
• favorable
• good
• helpful
• profitable
• useful
• valuable