beneficial

adjective ben·e·fi·cial \ ˌbe-nə-ˈfi-shəl \

Updated on: 16 May 2018

1 : producing good results or helpful effects : conferring benefits (see ¹benefit 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

—

beneficially

play \-ˈfi-sh(ə-)lē\ adverb

—

beneficialness

noun

See beneficial defined for English-language learners

See beneficial defined for kids

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.

Recent Examples of beneficial from the Web

The currently expanding boundaries seem to be most beneficial to a narrow set of stakeholders: psychiatrists along with other mental health clinicians and researchers, and especially pharmaceutical companies.

— rebecca a. seligman, STAT, "Cultural confusion: the shifting line between sane and ‘unsane’," 8 May 2018
The seal of approval offered by the party endorsement would have been particularly beneficial to Allen, who has whipped up tremendous enthusiasm among conservative activists, but lacks the financial resources of Cox.

— alexei koseff, sacbee, "California Republican activists favor John Cox for governor, but remain divided | The Sacramento Bee," 6 May 2018
Working the core is beneficial to your posture, as all strength and movement should initiate from the core.

— jenny mccoy, SELF, "Strengthen Your Shoulders and Core With This Plank Workout From Jennifer Garner’s Trainer," 30 Apr. 2018
While the deal has been beneficial to all three countries, the Trump administration has railed against free trade’s impact on manufacturing jobs (some of which have moved to Mexico where there is cheaper labor).

— sarah gray, Fortune, "Here's What the Trump Administration's NAFTA Negotiations Mean for You," 25 Apr. 2018
That's enough to motivate Irving to show up with some commitment and show up, which would be beneficial to him and the Cowboys.

— clarence e. hill jr., star-telegram, "Cowboys DE David Irving showing commitment now in hopes of cashing in big later | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 16 Apr. 2018
Sometimes employers offer perks that can be beneficial to your saving efforts.

— trae bodge, Woman's Day, "The 8 Best Ways to Save Money for Your Child's Future," 14 Apr. 2018
In addition to saving the state money, LeBlanc said the prison labor program is beneficial to the inmates.

— julia o'donoghue, NOLA.com, "Louisiana House passes bill to expand use of state prisoner labor," 2 Apr. 2018
Using oils through aromatherapy can be beneficial to patients, however, people should do their research, according to Dr. Denise Milistine of the Mayo Clinic.

— lauren castle, azcentral, "Lavender, tea tree oils linked to abnormal breast growth in young boys," 22 Mar. 2018

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.

Origin and Etymology of beneficial

Latin beneficium favor, benefit — see benefice

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

beneficial Synonyms

BENEFICIAL Defined for English Language Learners

beneficial

adjective

: producing good or helpful results or effects : producing benefits

BENEFICIAL Defined for Kids

beneficial

adjective ben·e·fi·cial \ ˌbe-nə-ˈfi-shəl \

: producing good results or effects : helpful

beneficial new medicines

Law Dictionary

beneficial

adjective ben·e·fi·cial \ ˌbe-nə-ˈfi-shəl \

1 : providing benefits or advantages

2 : receiving or entitling one to receive an advantage, benefit, or use

a beneficial shareholder

a beneficial estate

—

beneficially

play \-shə-lē\ adverb

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beneficial

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beneficial

Law Dictionary

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