beneficial

ben·e·fi·cial | \ ˌbe-nə-ˈfi-shəl

How to pronounce beneficial (audio)

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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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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 on the Web To determine the effects of media on people’s lives, whether beneficial or harmful, requires knowledge of what people are actually seeing and doing on those screens. — Byron Reeves, The Conversation, "Screen time: Conclusions about the effects of digital media are often incomplete, irrelevant or wrong," 15 Jan. 2020 What is beneficial about that is Cousins never has to turn his back to the defense or waste time making a hand fake. — cleveland, "Kevin Stefanski wants a healthy ‘marriage’ between run and pass. What might that look like for the Browns? -- Film review," 15 Jan. 2020 The study will continue and researchers plan to outfit participants with activity trackers to better understand which type of physical activity may be most beneficial. — Sandee Lamotte, CNN, "Lifestyle changes may combat a dementia that strikes people in their 40s and 50s," 8 Jan. 2020 There are plenty of folks looking to make a dollar rather than produce anything that’s really beneficial. — Time, "Want to Calm Your Anxious Pet With CBD? Some Products Are All Bark and No Bite: Study," 7 Jan. 2020 Motion decoys aren’t that beneficial on big water, especially when the wind is blowing hard. — Joe Genzel, Outdoor Life, "How to Hunt Late-Season Mallards In Fields vs. Water," 6 Jan. 2020 Studying the past to change our present As new methods enable profound insight into humanity’s shared history, a challenge is to ensure that these insights are relevant and beneficial in the present and future. — Elizabeth Sawchuk, Smithsonian Magazine, "Archaeologists Are Unearthing the Stories of the Past Faster Than Ever Before," 27 Dec. 2019 In China, meanwhile, there's less of a risk of sunburn, so reductions in air pollution there have been beneficial by allowing more sunlight through to power growth. — Scott K. Johnson, Ars Technica, "Heatwaves on multiple continents linked by jet stream tendency," 11 Dec. 2019 Seeing that has been really beneficial to my overall happiness. — Lilly Pace, Billboard, "Marko Monroe Has Styled Lizzo for Nearly Two Years -- Here's Why He Thinks She's This Generation's Madonna," 6 Dec. 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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Dictionary Entries near beneficial

beneficial improvement

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Last Updated

24 Jan 2020

Cite this Entry

“Beneficial.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beneficial. Accessed 28 January 2020.

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More Definitions for beneficial

beneficial

adjective

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

ben·e·fi·cial | \ ˌbe-nə-ˈfi-shəl

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Kids Definition of beneficial

: producing good results or effects : helpful beneficial new medicines

beneficial

ben·e·fi·cial | \ ˌbe-nə-ˈfi-shəl

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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

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showing steady, earnest care and effort

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