benediction

noun bene·dic·tion \ ˌbe-nə-ˈdik-shən \

Updated on: 13 Mar 2018

Definition of benediction

1 religion : the invocation (see invocation 1a) of a blessing

a prayer of benediction

; especially : the short blessing with which public worship is concluded

dismissed the congregation with a benediction

2 : something that promotes goodness or well-being

… the Mexican sun is no pleasant benediction like our northern sun …
—Gertrude Diamant

3 often capitalized, Christianity : a Roman Catholic or Anglo-Catholic devotion (see devotion 1c) including the exposition of the eucharistic Host in the monstrance and the blessing of the people with it

4 : an expression of good wishes

… yearning for the benediction of the New York critics …
—Time

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Examples of benediction in a Sentence

He dismissed the congregation with a benediction.
the priest offered a benediction for the missing children

Recent Examples of benediction from the Web

Even the monstrous Roy Cohn gets a (heavily qualified) benediction.

— wendy smith, miamiherald, "A full-bodied portrait of ‘Angels in America,’ a play redefined what theater could be | Miami Herald," 22 Feb. 2018
His 1955 studio portrait of her — Joan of Arc haircut, hand raised in self-amused benediction — is the show’s earliest picture and a true beauty.

— holland cotter, New York Times, "He Made Them Glow: A Maverick’s Portraits Live On," 8 Feb. 2018
Despite the benedictions, the ship's maiden voyage has gotten off to a rather inauspicious start.

— Anchorage Daily News, "Navy’s new ‘fast, agile’ warship has been stuck in ice since Christmas Eve," 23 Jan. 2018
Pope Francis led a short benediction at the service.

— sarah pulliam bailey, Washington Post, "Survivors of sexual abuse in Catholic Church decry the Vatican’s honorable funeral for Cardinal Law," 21 Dec. 2017
There will be a presentation of colors by the San Francisco Public Safety Color Guard and a benediction by the Right Rev. Marc Handley Andrus, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of California.

— rachel swan, San Francisco Chronicle, "Luminaries, performers to send off Mayor Lee at celebration of life Sunday," 16 Dec. 2017
Three decades’ worth of New York sports and media dignitaries lined up for their final benedictions Thursday from the radio talker known as the Sports Pope.

— jack dickey, SI.com, "Mike Francesa Bids Farewell to WFAN, Sports Talk Radio in Fitting Fashion," 15 Dec. 2017
Order up: Eggs get no benediction in Brendan Francis Newnam and Rico Gagliano’s Brunch Is Hell (Little, Brown), an ode to dinner parties, and Galt Niederhoffer laces a lover with Poison (St. Martin’s).

— sloane crosley, Vanities, "What to Read This Holiday Season," 15 Dec. 2017
Jackson said he was first approached about selling it to the person who bought it shortly after returning home from delivering the benediction at Donald Trump's inauguration in Washington, D.C.

— ann zaniewski, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit's Bishop's Mansion sells for more than $2.5 million," 12 Oct. 2017

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

Did You Know?

In benediction, the bene root is joined by another Latin root, dictio, "speaking", so the word's meaning becomes something like "well-wishing". Perhaps the best-known benediction is the so-called Aaronic Benediction from the Bible, which begins, "May the Lord bless you and keep you". An important section of the Catholic Mass was traditionally known as the Benedictus, after its first word (meaning "blessed"). It was St. Benedict who organized the first Christian monasteries; many Christians have been baptized Benedict in his honor, and 16 popes have taken it as their papal name.

Origin and Etymology of benediction

Middle English benediccioun, from Late Latin benediction-, benedictio, from benedicere to bless, from Latin, to speak well of, from bene well (akin to Latin bonus good) + dicere to say — more at bounty, diction

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year