different between benefit vs possession

English

Alternative forms

• benefite (obsolete)

Etymology

From Late Middle English benefytt, benefett, alteration (due to Latin bene-) of benfet, bienfet, bienfait (“good or noble deed”), from Anglo-Norman benfet (“well-done”), Middle French bienfait, from Old French bienfet, bienfait (“foredeal, favour”), from past participle of bienfaire (“to do good, do well”), from bien (“well”) + faire (“to do”), modelled after Latin benefactum (“good deed”). More at benefactor.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?b?n.?.f?t/
• (US) enPR: b?n'?f?t, IPA^(key): /?b?n.?.f?t/

Noun

benefit (countable and uncountable, plural benefits)

1. An advantage; help or aid from something.
2. (insurance) A payment made in accordance with an insurance policy or a public assistance scheme.
3. An event such as a performance, given to raise funds for some cause.
4. (obsolete) beneficence; liberality
   • c. 1613, John Webster, The Duchess of Malfi

     What was it with such violence he
     On the wild benefit of nature live took Happier than we

5. Intended audience (as for the benefit of).

Synonyms

• (advantage, help): foredeal, advantage, aid, assistance, boon, help
• (payment): subsidy

Antonyms

• (advantage, help): harm, disadvantage, encumbrance, hindrance, nuisance, obstacle, detriment

Derived terms

• beneficial
• benefiter
• benifit (a misspelling)

Translations

See also

• lagniappe

Verb

benefit (third-person singular simple present benefits, present participle benefiting or benefitting, simple past and past participle benefited or benefitted)

1. (transitive) To be or to provide a benefit to.
2. (intransitive) To receive a benefit (from); to be a beneficiary.

Usage notes

• Benefiting and benefited are more common, with benefitting and benefitted being minor variants, especially in the US.

Synonyms

• help, batten, behoove

Antonyms

• malefic
• detriment

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from English benefit.

Noun

benefit m (invariable)

1. benefit, advantage

Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /?be.ne.fit/, [?b?n?f?t?]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /?be.ne.fit/, [?b??n?fit?]

Verb

benefit

1. third-person singular present passive indicative of benefaci?

English

Etymology

From Latin possessi?, possessi?nis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /p??z???n/
• Rhymes: -???n

Noun

possession (countable and uncountable, plural possessions)

1. Control or occupancy of something for which one does not necessarily have private property rights.
2. Something that is owned.

   The car quickly became his most prized possession.

   I would gladly give all of my worldly possessions just to be able to do that.

3. Ownership; taking, holding, keeping something as one's own.

   The car is in my possession.

   I'm in possession of the car.

4. A territory under the rule of another country.

   Réunion is the largest of France's overseas possessions.

5. The condition or affliction of being possessed by a demon or other supernatural entity.

   Back then, people with psychiatric disorders were sometimes thought to be victims of demonic possession.
6. The condition of being under the control of strong emotion or madness.
7. (sports) Control of the ball; the opportunity to be on the offensive.

   The scoreboard shows a little football symbol next to the name of the team that has possession.
8. (Australian rules football) A disposal of the ball during a game, i.e. a kick or a handball.
   • 2019 In the mix: Who's pushing for selection for round eight? Australian Football League, 7 May 2019. Accessed 7 May 2019.

     Defender Colin O'Riordan had 41 possessions in the NEAFL last week to continue his outstanding form, while Ryan Clarke had 47 in the Swans' big loss to Brisbane.

9. (linguistics) A syntactic relationship between two nouns or nominals that may be used to indicate ownership.

   Some languages distinguish between a construction like 'my car', which shows alienable possession — the car could become someone else's — and one like 'my foot', which has inalienable possession — my foot will always be mine.

Usage notes

• One who possesses is often said to have possession (of), hold possession (of), or be in possession (of).
• One who acquires is often said to take possession (of), gain possession (of), or come into possession (of).

Synonyms

• ight (obsolete)
• (taking, holding, keeping something as one's own): owndom, retention
• See also Thesaurus:property

Antonyms

• (taking, holding, keeping something as one's own): absence

Hyponyms

• mortmain

Translations

Verb

possession (third-person singular simple present possessions, present participle possessioning, simple past and past participle possessioned)

1. (obsolete) To invest with property.

French

Etymology

From Latin possessionem (nominative of possessio)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /p?.s?.sj??/

Noun

possession f (plural possessions)

1. possession

Derived terms

• prendre possession

Further reading

• “possession” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).