Benedict
biographical name
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Benedick is the chief male character in Shakespeare’s play Much Ado About Nothing. Throughout the play, both Benedick and his female counterpart Beatrice exchange barbed comments and profess to detest the very idea of marriage, but the story eventually culminates in their marriage to each other. As a result, Benedick's name came to be applied to men who marry later in life. The spelling was changed to benedict, possibly by association with a use of benedict meaning "bachelor" (although the evidence for this use is scant). Some early 20th-century usage commentators regarded the respelling as incorrect with regard to the etymology, but benedict has become the established spelling nevertheless. These days "benedict" is fairly uncommon and most typically encountered in historical sources and references.
Cite this Entry
“Benedict.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Benedict. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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