as in contribution
a gift of money or its equivalent to a charity, humanitarian cause, or public institution
the generous benefaction from an anonymous donor meant the animal shelter could stay open
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Recent Examples of benefaction
The benefaction of these private nonprofits eventually came to exceed, by a substantial margin, the money dispensed by the government, which has declined over time.
—
Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2026
The evening ended with the iconic funk band The Bar-Kays bringing everyone to the dance floor for a boogie to celebrate a night of benefaction.
—Shelby Stewart, Essence, 5 Mar. 2024
Clear thinking, unvarnished assessments, and reference to those timeless lessons: These are the benefactions that National Review Institute brings to the public square.
—Peter J. Travers, National Review, 30 Dec. 2023
All the same, today Alaska’s on-a-bun benefaction is a dog made with lean, delicately gamy reindeer.
—J. J. Goode, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2023
But the full scale of Crow’s benefactions has never been revealed.
—Propublica, Dallas News, 6 Apr. 2023
But the full scale of Crow’s benefactions has never been revealed.
—Joshua Kaplan, Fortune, 6 Apr. 2023
Its grand eighteenth-century buildings were dominated by the huge Codrington Library, named after the West Indian slave owner whose benefaction enriched his old college.
—Fara Dabhoiwala, The New York Review of Books, 1 July 2021
Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2026
The evening ended with the iconic funk band The Bar-Kays bringing everyone to the dance floor for a boogie to celebrate a night of benefaction.
—Shelby Stewart, Essence, 5 Mar. 2024
Clear thinking, unvarnished assessments, and reference to those timeless lessons: These are the benefactions that National Review Institute brings to the public square.
—Peter J. Travers, National Review, 30 Dec. 2023
All the same, today Alaska’s on-a-bun benefaction is a dog made with lean, delicately gamy reindeer.
—J. J. Goode, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2023
But the full scale of Crow’s benefactions has never been revealed.
—Propublica, Dallas News, 6 Apr. 2023
But the full scale of Crow’s benefactions has never been revealed.
—Joshua Kaplan, Fortune, 6 Apr. 2023
Its grand eighteenth-century buildings were dominated by the huge Codrington Library, named after the West Indian slave owner whose benefaction enriched his old college.
—Fara Dabhoiwala, The New York Review of Books, 1 July 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for benefaction
Noun
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But Doncic, who scored 44 points in the win, was quick to credit the team’s bench contributions.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
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His contribution was significant enough to earn him co-authorship on the study.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
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However, the document later says that the fundraising figures also includes large donations that campaigns are required to immediately report.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Mar. 2026
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Your support through a tax-deductible donation or low-cost subscription is vital to our ability to deliver credible, relevant, unique coverage of our community.—
Brett Vito Mar 13,
Dallas Morning News,
14 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Benefaction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/benefaction. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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