Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

benediction

/ˌbɛnəˈdɪkʃən/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.49 in modern English

Syllables
bene-dic-tion
IPA
/ˌbɛnəˈdɪkʃən/
16
Scrabble Score
11
Letters
4
Syllables
8
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A short invocation for help, blessing and guidance from God, said on behalf of another person or persons (sometimes at the end of a church worship service).

Countable; Uncountable

noun

In the Anglican church, the ceremony used to institute an abbot, analogous to the consecration of a bishop.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

A Roman Catholic rite by which bells, banners, candles, etc., are blessed with holy water and formally dedicated to God.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

Help, good fortune or reward from God or another supernatural source.

Countable; Uncountable

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Middle English benediccion, from Ecclesiastical Latin benedictio, benedictionis, from benedictus (“blessed; well spoken of”). Doublet of benison.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: benediccion, benedictio

Usage

Inflected Forms

Frequently Paired Words

Synonyms

Antonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce benediction?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˌbɛnəˈdɪkʃən/.
What does benediction mean?
A short invocation for help, blessing and guidance from God, said on behalf of another person or persons (sometimes at the end of a church worship service).
Where does benediction come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce benediction

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “benediction”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˌbɛnəˈdɪkʃən/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “benediction”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “benediction” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.