Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

beneficiary

/ˌbɛn.ɪˈfɪʃ.ɚ.i/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.37 in modern English

Syllables
ben-e-fi-cia-ry
IPA
/ˌbɛn.ɪˈfɪʃ.ɚ.i/
21
Scrabble Score
11
Letters
6
Syllables
9
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

One who benefits or receives an advantage.

noun

One who benefits from the distribution, especially out of a trust or estate.

noun

One who benefits from the payout of an insurance policy.

adj

Bestowed as a gratuity.

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Latin beneficiarius (“enjoying a favor, granted a privilege”) from beneficium (“benefit”), perhaps via or influenced by French bénéficiaire (“beneficiary”). Indirectly, by way of the etymology of the Latin word beneficium, the English word beneficiary ultimately has the same origin as the English word benefactor, its near antonym.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: beneficiarius, bénéficiaire

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˌbɛn.ɪˈfɪʃ.ɚ.i/
  • British English: /ˌbɛn.ɪˈfɪʃ.əɹ.i/

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Frequently Paired Words

Synonyms

Antonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce beneficiary?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˌbɛn.ɪˈfɪʃ.ɚ.i/.
What does beneficiary mean?
One who benefits or receives an advantage.
Where does beneficiary come from?
It is traced to Latin.

How to pronounce beneficiary

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