benefit

The word “benefit” means an advantage, gain, or help that comes from something. In plain terms, something good you gain, or the act of gaining something good from a situation.

“Benefit” is pronounced BEHN-ih-fiht (/ˈbɛn.ə.fɪt/ in IPA).

Here is “benefit” used in a sentence: “One benefit of working from home is skipping the commute.”

Words with a similar meaning to “benefit” include help, batten and behoove.

The opposite of “benefit” — its antonyms — are harm, disadvantage, encumbrance, hindrance and malefit.

Depending on how it is used, “benefit” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “benefit” comes from Latin. From Old French bienfait, "good deed," from bien ("well") and faire ("to do"), modeled on Latin benefactum — the same root as "benefactor.".

“Benefit” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

The words overlap, but a benefit is a helpful gain that something provides — the good it does you, like the health benefits of exercise. An advantage is a favourable position, often measured against others, that puts you ahead. Every advantage helps you, but a benefit need not involve beating anyone.

The main opposites are drawback, disadvantage, downside, detriment, and harm. Where a benefit is a positive gain or help, these describe the negative side — what something costs you rather than what it gives. Weighing benefits against drawbacks is exactly how people judge whether a choice is worthwhile.

Employee benefits are the extras a job provides on top of wages — things like health insurance, a pension, paid holiday, sick leave, or perks such as gym membership. Because they add real value beyond salary, they are often called a benefits package and weigh heavily when choosing a job.

For instance, regular exercise brings the benefit of better health, and reading widely has the benefit of a larger vocabulary. A new road might benefit a town by cutting journey times. In each case the benefit is the concrete advantage, gain, or help that results from something.