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beneficial

adjective
ben·​e·​fi·​cial | \ ËŒbe-nÉ™-ˈfi-shÉ™l How to pronounce beneficial (audio) \

Definition of beneficial

1 : producing good results or helpful effects : conferring benefits (see benefit entry 1 sense 1) the beneficial effects of regular exercise insects that are beneficial to your garden
2 : receiving or entitling one to receive advantage, use, or benefit a beneficial owner of securities a beneficial interest in an estate
Other Words from beneficial Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about beneficial

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Other Words from beneficial

beneficially \ ËŒbe-​nÉ™-​ˈfi-​sh(É™-​)lÄ“ How to pronounce beneficially (audio) \ adverb
beneficialness noun

Examples of beneficial in a Sentence

He hopes the new drug will prove beneficial to many people. Regular exercise has many beneficial health effects. They have a relationship that is beneficial to both of them. Some insects are harmful but others are beneficial.
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Recent Examples on the Web

 There is evidence group nudity has beneficial effects on body image and well-being. — Katrin Bennhold, BostonGlobe.com, "A very German idea of freedom: nude ping-pong, nude sledding, nude just about anything," 1 Sep. 2019 The outbreaks have created a crisis for two emerging industries — e-cigarettes and legal cannabis — that have pitched themselves as beneficial to public health. — New York Times, "The Mysterious Vaping Illness That’s ‘Becoming an Epidemic’," 31 Aug. 2019 That finding suggested the plants were somehow eliminating harmful mutations in their somatic cells and accumulating beneficial ones for their reproductive cells. — Elizabeth Pennisi, Science | AAAS, "Meet the monkeyflower, a weed that may hold the key to zebra stripes and other biological mysteries," 29 Aug. 2019 It's added that the conversations were 'calm' and not heated, with the loan move thought to be beneficial to all parties and that the duo attempted to convince the forward that PSG would be a good temporary switch for him. — SI.com, "Neymar Future to Be Decided With Barcelona & PSG to Meet in Wake of (Another) Failed Bid," 29 Aug. 2019 Many people believe that unprocessed milk, straight from the farm, contains beneficial bacteria that boost the immune system and have other healthful properties. — Rick Barrett, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Margarine smugglers, a deadly milk war and more flavor Wisconsin's dairy history," 28 Aug. 2019 Dogs: Adorable, intelligent, loving—and beneficial to your heart. — Selena Barrientos, House Beautiful, "Having a Dog Is Actually Helping Your Heart and Mood, According to This New Study," 27 Aug. 2019 The dry weather has created conditions beneficial to wildland fires. — USA TODAY, "Rocket’s last blast, Alaska drought, million-dollar ham: News from around our 50 states," 23 Aug. 2019 This debate has put Detroit at the center of an escalating national conversation about high-tech crime-fighting tools that are promoted as beneficial to the public but may lead to more intrusive forms of government surveillance. — Erin Einhorn, NBC News, "A fight over facial recognition is dividing Detroit — with high stakes for police and privacy," 22 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'beneficial.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of beneficial

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for beneficial

Latin beneficium favor, benefit — see benefice

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More Definitions for beneficial

beneficial

adjective
How to pronounce beneficial (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of beneficial

: producing good or helpful results or effects : producing benefits

See the full definition for beneficial in the English Language Learners Dictionary

beneficial

adjective
ben·​e·​fi·​cial | \ ËŒbe-nÉ™-ˈfi-shÉ™l How to pronounce beneficial (audio) \

Kids Definition of beneficial

: producing good results or effects : helpful beneficial new medicines

beneficial

adjective
ben·​e·​fi·​cial | \ ËŒbe-nÉ™-ˈfi-shÉ™l How to pronounce beneficial (audio) \

Legal Definition of beneficial

1 : providing benefits or advantages
2 : receiving or entitling one to receive an advantage, benefit, or use a beneficial shareholder a beneficial estate

Other Words from beneficial

beneficially \ -​shÉ™-​lÄ“ How to pronounce beneficially (audio) \ adverb

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More from Merriam-Webster on beneficial

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with beneficial

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for beneficial

Spanish Central: Translation of beneficial

Nglish: Translation of beneficial for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of beneficial for Arabic Speakers

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