different between beneficiary vs benefactor

English

Etymology

From Latin beneficiarius (“enjoying a favor, granted a privilege”) from beneficium (“benefit”), perhaps via or influenced by French bénéficiaire (“beneficiary”). Indirectly, by way of the etymology of the Latin word beneficium, the English word beneficiary ultimately has the same origin as the English word benefactor, its near antonym.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?b?n.??f??.??.i/, /?b?n.??f??.??.i/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?b?n.??f??.?.i/, /b?n.??f??.i??.i/

Noun

beneficiary (plural beneficiaries)

1. One who benefits or receives an advantage.
2. (law) One who benefits from the distribution, especially of an estate.

3. (insurance) One who benefits from the payout of an insurance policy.

Related terms

• benefactor (near antonym)
• benefactress (near antonym)

Translations

Adjective

beneficiary (not comparable)

1. Holding some office or valuable possession, in subordination to another; holding under a feudal or other superior; having a dependent and secondary possession.
   • 1623, Francis Bacon, A Discourse of a War with Spain

     a feudatory or beneficiary king of England

2. Bestowed as a gratuity.

Further reading

• beneficiary on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

English

Alternative forms

• benefactour (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English benefactor, borrowed from Medieval Latin benefactor (“he who bestows a favor”), from Latin benefaci? (“benefit someone”), from bene (“good”) + faci? (“do, make”).

Pronunciation

• (General American) enPR: b?n'?f?kt?r, IPA^(key): /?b?n??fækt?/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?b?n??fakt?/
• Hyphenation: ben?e?fac?tor

Noun

benefactor (plural benefactors, feminine benefactress or benefactoress or benefactrix)

1. Somebody who gives a gift, often money to a charity.
2. Someone who performs good or noble deeds.

Related terms

• benefactive
• benefactress
• benefactrix
• beneficiary (near antonym)
• beneficent

Translations

Catalan

Alternative forms

• benfactor

Etymology

From Late Latin benefactor.

Noun

benefactor m (plural benefactors, feminine benefactora)

1. benefactor

Related terms

• malfactor, malefactor

Further reading

• “benefactor” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “benefactor” in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana.
• “benefactor” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “benefactor” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Latin

Etymology

From benefaci? or benefactus +? -tor.

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /be.ne?fak.tor/, [b?n??fäkt??r]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /be.ne?fak.tor/, [b?n??f?kt??r]

Noun

benefactor m (genitive benefact?ris); third declension

1. (Late Latin) benefactor; one who confers a favour

Declension

Third-declension noun.

Antonyms

• malefactor

Related terms

• benefactus

Descendants

References

• benefactor in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• benefactor in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré Latin-Français, Hachette

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin benefactor, from Latin benefacio. Compare the inherited doublet bienhechor.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /benefa??to?/, [be.ne.fa???t?o?]
• Hyphenation: be?ne?fac?tor

Noun

benefactor m (plural benefactores, feminine benefactora, feminine plural benefactoras)

1. benefactor

Related terms

• bienfacer

Further reading

• “benefactor” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.