In the 18th century, the Swedish government made coffee and its paraphernalia (including cups and dishes) illegal for its supposed ties to rebellious sentiment.
BENEFIT
benefit, welfare
(noun) something that aids or promotes well-being; “for the benefit of all”
benefit
(noun) a performance to raise money for a charitable cause
benefit
(noun) financial assistance in time of need
profit, gain, benefit
(verb) derive a benefit from; “She profited from his vast experience”
benefit, do good
(verb) be beneficial for; “This will do you good”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Noun
benefit (countable and uncountable, plural benefits)
An advantage; help or aid from something.
(insurance) A payment made in accordance with an insurance policy or a public assistance scheme.
An event such as a performance, given to raise funds for some cause.
(obsolete) beneficence; liberality
Synonyms
• (advantage, help): foredeal, advantage, aid, assistance, boon, help
• (payment): subsidy
Antonyms
• (advantage, help): harm, disadvantage, encumbrance, hindrance, nuisance, obstacle, detriment
Verb
benefit (third-person singular simple present benefits, present participle benefitting or benefiting, simple past and past participle benefitted or benefited)
(transitive) To be or to provide a benefit to.
(intransitive) To receive a benefit (from); to be a beneficiary.
Usage notes
• Benefiting and benefited are more common, with benefitting and benefitted being minor variants, especially in the US.
Synonyms
• help, batten, behoove
Antonyms
• malefic
• detriment
Source: Wiktionary
Ben"e*fit, n. Etym: [OE. benefet, benfeet, bienfet, F. bienfait, fr. L. benefactum; bene well (adv. of bonus good) + factum, p. p. of facere to do. See Bounty, and Fact.]
1. An act of kindness; a favor conferred. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. Ps. ciii. 2.
2. Whatever promotes prosperity and personal happiness, or adds value to property; advantage; profit. Men have no right to what is not for their benefit. Burke.
3. A theatrical performance, a concert, or the like, the proceeds of which do not go to the lessee of the theater or to the company, but to some individual actor, or to some charitable use.
4. Beneficence; liberality. [Obs.] Webster (1623).
5. pl.
Definition: Natural advantaged; endowments; accomplishments. [R.] "The benefits of your own country." Shak. Benefit of clergy. (Law) See under Clergy.
Syn.
– Profit; service; use; avail. See Advantage.
Ben"e*fit, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Benefited; p. pr. & vb. n. Benefitting.]
Definition: To be beneficial to; to do good to; to advantage; to advance in health or prosperity; to be useful to; to profit. I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them. Jer. xviii. 10.
Ben"e*fit, v. i.
Definition: To gain advantage; to make improvement; to profit; as, he will benefit by the change.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
25 February 2025
ENDLESSLY
(adverb) (spatial sense) seeming to have no bounds; “the Nubian desert stretched out before them endlessly”
Coffee Trivia
