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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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
-
Most of the political contributions disbursed by AIPAC come from individual donors who use its website to select lawmakers endorsed by the group to support them financially.—
Robert Schmad,
The Washington Examiner,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Another of Agbabiaka’s contributions is the picture of an eagle aloft with multiple verses from Chapter 40 of the Book of Isiah in the Bible behind the large bird.—
Steve Sadin,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The agreement allegedly called for $5,000 in cash to the council member and a $5,000 donation to an independent expenditure committee aligned with him.—
Jakob Rodgers,
Mercury News,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Senate Bill 423 would ban political donations from out-of-state donors if those contributions exceed 50% of the total money raised for a campaign or leadership committee.—
Adam Beam,
AJC.com,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Benefaction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/benefaction. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
