▪ I. benefit, n.
(ˈbɛnɪfɪt)
Forms: 4 benfet, bynfet, benfait, (pl. benfes), 4–5 benefet(e, benfeet, beenfete, bienfait, -fet(e, 5 benefayte, benfeyte, bienfette, -faytte, 6 benifit(e, benyfyt, bunfyte, benefact, -faict, 7 benefit(t)e, -fict, 7– benefit.
[ME. benfet, a. AFr. benfet, = Central Fr. bienfait:—L. benefactum good deed, kind action, lit. (a thing) well done, f. bene facĕre to do well. In 15–16th c. the first syllable was assimilated to the L.; the later change of the second syllable to fit seems merely phonetic.]
† 1. A thing well done; a good or noble deed.
| 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. v. 621 Þe boldnesse of þi bienfetes maketh þe blynde þanne. 1393 Gower Conf. III. 187 Of every bienfait the merite The god him self it woll aquite. 1480 Caxton Ovid's Met. xiv. xi, Alle..that hade seen hys bienfayttes, wer mevyd wyth grace toward hym. 1811 Landor Ct. Julian Wks. 1846 II. 523 Man's only relics are his benefits. |
2. a. A kind deed, a kindness; a favour, gift.
arch.| 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. v. 436 Ȝif any man doth me a benfait [v.r. benfeet, bienfait, -fet, C bynfet]. c 1430 Life St. Katharine (1884) 27 Þe sonne and þe mone..whos benefettys alle deedly creatures vse. c 1449 Pecock Repr. 161 Rememoratyf syignes of God and of his Benefetis. 1526 Tindale Acts xiv. 17 In that he shewed his benefaictes. 1557 N. T. (Geneva) Philemon 14 That thy benefit shuld not be as it were of necessitie, but willingly. 1611 ibid. [as prec.]. 1600 Shakes. A.Y.L. i. ii. 37 Her [Fortune's] benefits are mightily misplaced. 1628 Hobbes Thucyd. (1822) 63 For the men which thou hast saved..thy benefit is laid up in our house indelibly registerd. |
† b. by (occas. through) the benefit of: by or through the kindness or favour of; by the agency or help of, by means of (a person or thing).
Obs.| 1538 Starkey England 14 By the bunfyte and powar of nature. 1578 Banister Hist. Man iv. 51 By the benefitte of the third Muscle the shoulder blade is lifted vp. 1590 Shakes. Com. Err. i. i. 91 By the benefit of his wished light The seas waxt calme. 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. 23 He sall be made frie be the Kings benefite and decreit. 1709 Steele Tatler No. 181 ¶1 By the Benefit of Nature..Length of Time..blots out the Violence of Afflictions. |
c. A benefaction (in somewhat of a legal sense).
| 1591 Shakes. 1 Hen. VI, v. iv. 152 Accept the Title thou vsurp'st, Of benefit proceeding from our King, And not of any challenge of Desert. 1594 ― Rich. III, iii. vii. 196 Take to your Royall selfe this proferr'd benefit of Dignitie. |
3. a. Advantage, profit, good. (The ordinary sense.)
for the benefit of: for the advantage of, on behalf of.
† to take benefit of (a thing): to take advantage of, avail oneself of.
benefit of the doubt: see
doubt n.1 1 b.
| [1393 Gower Conf. I. 304 Whan Jupiter this harm hath sein Another bienfait there ayein He yaf. 1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 362/2 We receyue dayly many bienfaites of this cyte.] 1512 Act 4 Hen. VIII, ii. § 2 He to have non avauntage or benefette of the matter alleged by hym. 1576 Lambarde Peramb. Kent (1826) 209 If you minded to haue benefit by the Roode of Grace. 1651 Hobbes Leviath. ii. xxviii. 162 If the harm inflicted be lesse than the benefit. 1752 Johnson Rambl. No. 199 ¶2 Having long laboured for the benefit of mankind. 1789 Belsham Ess. ix. I. 173 Government is an institution for the benefit of the people governed. 1875 Jowett Plato (ed. 2) I. 28, I have an impression that temperance is a benefit and a good. |
b. A natural advantage or ‘gift.’
| 1600 Shakes. A.Y.L. iv. i. 34 Disable all the benefits of your owne Countrie. 1613 ― Hen. VIII, i. ii. 115 When these so Noble benefits shall proue Not well dispos'd. |
c. Law. The advantage of belonging to a privileged order which was exempted from the jurisdiction or sentence of the ordinary courts of law; the exemption itself: in the phrases
benefit of clergy,
benefit of peerage; see
clergy,
peerage.
| 1488–9 Act 4 Hen. VII, xiii. (title), An act to take awaye the benefytt of Clergye from certayne persons. 1718 Hickes & Nelson J. Kettlewell ii. §56. 175 To this they Pleaded the Benefit of their Peerage. 1827 Hallam Const. Hist. (1876) I. ii. 58 In 1513 the benefit of clergy was entirely taken away from murderers and highway robbers. |
d. Pecuniary advantage, profit, gain.
| 1592 No-body & Some-b. (1878) 336 The grand benefit you get by dice, Deceitfull Cards, and other cozening games. 1612 Davies Discov. why Irel. (1787) 29 Why the King received no benefit of his land of Ireland. 1712 Steele Spect. No. 310 ¶2 My Estate is seven hundred Pounds a Year, besides the Benefit of Tin-Mines. 1885 Law Times Rep. LII. 706/1 The secretary transferred the benefit of his contract as to three of the lots to other persons. |
4. Hence in special senses:
a. A theatrical performance the receipts from which are given to a particular actor, the playwright, or some other person connected with the theatre. (First granted to Mrs. Barry 16th Jan. 1687.
Hist. Stage (1792) 29.) Hence, any entertainment or display the receipts from which are given to a particular player or company; also, the proceeds from such an entertainment.
| [Cf. 1629 Sir H. Herbert in Malone Eng. Stage (1821) III. 177 The benefitt of the winters day from the kinges company..upon the play of ‘The Moor of Venice,’ comes, this 22 of Nov. 1629, unto 9l. 16s. od.] 1709 Steele Tatler No. 1 ¶6 Acted for the Benefit of Mr. Betterton. 1721 Swift Epil. to Play Wks. 1755 III. ii. 181 Actors, who at best are hardly savers, Will give a night of benefit to weavers? 1798 Times 3 Oct. Advt., Royal Circus. For the Benefit of Mr. Simpson. 1802 Sporting Mag. XXI. 17/1 The grand display of pugilistic dexterity, advertised by Belcher, for his benefit, at Sadler's Wells. Ibid. 17/2 Spectators at Mr. Belcher's benefit. [1846 Spirit of Times (N.Y.) 18 Apr. 91/2 A disposition prevails to give him a sort of ‘benefit’ as an offset to the late loss he sustained by fire.] 1850 Thackeray Pendennis vi, She was going to have a benefit and appear as Ophelia. 1854 Lillywhite's Guide to Cricketers 85 Those noblemen, gentlemen, and clubs..who were kind enough to honour him with a ‘donation’ towards his benefit. 1890 Conan Doyle Sign of Four v. 74 Don't you remember the amateur who fought three rounds with you..on the night of your benefit four years back? |
† b. A prize in a lottery; a winning ticket.
Obs.| 1694 Luttrell Brief Rel. (1857) III. 384 Yesterday 72 benefits were drawn in the million lottery. 1694 Lond. Gaz. No. 2968/2 That Benefit does belong to the Person that shall produce a Ticket of the same Number. 1710 Steele Tatler No. 202 ¶5 After their Number is drawn, whether it was a Blank or Benefit. 1711 Lond. Gaz. No. 4903/4 The number'd Tickets entitled to Benefits in the Lottery. 1715 Ibid. No. 5326/3 The Tickets called Benefits [carry] an interest at the Rate of 4l. per Cent. per Ann. |
† c. An ecclesiastical living, benefice, endowment.
Obs.| 1554 in Strype Eccl. Mem. III. ii. App. xvi. 40 Whether he doth bestow yearly the fift part of his benefit. 1719 D'Urfey Pills (1872) IV. 86 Your Benefits you'll keep, whilst another feeds the Sheep. |
d. That which a person is entitled to in the way of pecuniary assistance, medical or other attendance, pension, and the like, under the National Insurance Act of 1911 and similar subsequent Acts, or as a member of a benefit (or friendly) society; more explicitly
maternity benefit,
medical benefit,
sick(ness benefit.
| 1875 Act 38 & 39 Vict. c. 60 §24 (8), Provided as follows as respects friendly societies: (a) No special resolution..is valid..without the written consent of every person for the time being receiving or entitled to any relief..or other benefit from the funds of the society. 1891 [see sickness 6]. 1895 Daily News 7 June 2/3 Contributions..providing for confinement benefit. 1901 B. S. Rowntree Poverty 362 In addition to the sick benefit there is a funeral benefit of {pstlg}10. 1911 Act 1 & 2 Geo. V, c. 55 §8 Payment in the case of the confinement of the wife..of an insured person..of a sum of thirty shillings (in this Act called ‘maternity benefit’). Ibid., In the case of insured persons who have attained the age of seventy, the right to sickness benefit and disablement benefit shall cease. Ibid. §10 His right to medical benefit, sanatorium benefit, and maternity benefit shall be suspended. 1927 Carr-Saunders & Jones Soc. Struct. Eng. & Wales 150 The applicant may at the discretion of the Ministry of Labour receive ‘extended’ benefit for the remainder of the benefit year. 1958 Listener 23 Oct. 634/1 Unemployment and sickness benefit were put on a new basis [in 1946]. |
5. Comb. and
attrib. (only in senses 4 and 5), as
benefit-bill,
benefit-concert,
benefit-day,
benefit match,
benefit-night,
benefit-play,
benefit-social; also
benefit-club,
-society, an association whose members, by the regular payment of small sums, are entitled to pecuniary help in time of age or sickness; also
fig.;
benefit-ticket, (
a) a winning ticket at a lottery (
cf. 5 b.); (
b) a ticket for a benefit (sense 4 a).
| 1755 Mrs. C. Charke Life 56 To inform all my Acquaintance, that I was the Person so set down in Mrs. Thurmond's *Benefit-Bills. 1844 J. Cowell Thirty Yrs. Among Players (1845) i. ix. 23 For so he used to designate himself in his benefit-bills. |
| 1812 Examiner 11 May 291/1 The *benefit club..forms something of a provision against adversity. 1817 Coleridge Poems 111 One Benefit-Club for mutual flattery. |
| 1759 Johnson in Boswell I. 342 Mrs. Ogle..hopes by a *benefit concert to set herself free from a few debts. |
| 1712 Steele Spect. No. 288 ¶3 The *Benefit Days of my Plays and Operas. |
| 1871 Baily's Mag. June 169 The great compliment of a *benefit match at Lord's has been granted to Willsher by the Committee of the M.C.C. |
| 1748 Smollett Rod. Rand. (1812) I. 439 My play..could not have been ready until the end of March, when the *benefit nights came on. 1824–9 Landor Imag. Conv. (1846) I. 254 Their opera-girls vie in benefit-nights. |
| 1740 Cibber Apol. (1756) I. 120 The indulgence of having an annual *benefit-play. |
| 1929 Collier's 12 Jan. 10/2 He met her at a church *benefit-social the very same day he arrived at Bellwood. |
| 1801 H. More Let. in J. Aitken Eng. Lett. XIX cent. (1946) 52, I have instituted..friendly *benefit societies for poor women, which have proved a great relief to the sick and lying-in. 1837 Dickens in Sk. Boz 2nd Ser. 322 There is not a parlour, or club-room, or benefit society..without its red-faced man. 1845 Disraeli Sybil (Rtldg.) 293 The Benefit Societies..have money in the banks that would maintain the whole working classes..for six weeks. |
| 1694 Luttrell Brief. Rel. (1857) III. 382 Yesterday the million lottery drew 66 *benefit tickets. 1746 Garrick Corresp. (1831) I. 41 A terrible ‘Row’ ensued, between the few who paid ready money, and those who brought in his benefit-tickets. 1859 Sala Tw. round Clock (1861) 257 Solicitations for engagements, cards, bills, and applications for benefit tickets. |
▪ II. benefit, v. (
ˈbɛnɪfɪt)
Pa. tense and
pple. benefited.
[f. prec. n.] 1. trans. To do good to, to be of advantage or profit to; to improve, help forward.
| 1549 Cheke Hurt Sedit. (R.), Ye be not so muche worthie as to be benefited in anye kinde. 1611 Shakes. Wint. T. iv. iv. 514 What course I mean to hold, Shall nothing benefit your knowledge. a 1613 Overbury Worthy Comm. Wks. (1865) 107 If ever a man will benefit himselfe upon his foe, then is the time, when they have lost force. 1792 Burke Let. Dundas Wks. IX. 283 The cause of humanity would be far more benefited by the continuance of the trade. 1879 Lubbock Addr. Pol. & Educ. i. 8 A system of duties which injures our interests without benefiting those of the colonies. |
2. intr. (for
refl.) To receive benefit, to get advantage; to profit.
| 1613 Shakes. Hen. VIII, i. ii. 80 Malicious censurers, which euer, As rau'nous Fishes, doe a Vessell follow That is new trim'd; but benefit no further Then vainly longing. 1644 Milton Educ. Wks. (1847) 98/2 To tell you therefore what I have benefited herein. 1884 National Rev. July 720 One who has never directly or indirectly benefited a single shilling by any humble efforts he may have put forth. |