benefice

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. Ecclesiastical A church office endowed with fixed capital assets that provide a living.
2. n. Ecclesiastical The revenue from such assets.
3. n. A landed estate granted in feudal tenure.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. In feudal law, originally, a fee or an estate in lands granted for life only, and held ex mero beneficio (on the mere good pleasure) of the donor. Such estates afterward becoming hereditary, the word feud was used for grants to individuals, and benefice became restricted to church livings.
2. n. An ecclesiastical living; a church office endowed with a revenue for its proper fulfilment; the revenue itself. The following terms of canon law are frequently found associated with this word, which is of historical importance: A benefice involving no other obligation than service in the public offices of the church is simple; if the cure of souls is attached to it, double; if with a certain rank attached, dignitary or major; the two former without rank, minor. Thus, a chantry was a simple benefice; a prebend gives the right to only a part of the income of a canonry attached to a collegiate or cathedral church; while the benefice is perpetual and has a charge, though there are some (called manual, from their being in the hands of the one conferring them) revocable. The benefice is said to be regular if held by one qualified to fulfil the duties of the office; secular if held by a layman; and in commendam when in the charge of one commended by the proper authorities until one duly qualified to fulfil its duties is appointed. In the last-named case the discharge of the office is provided for at the expense of the holder. (See abbé.) A benefice is received by election, for example, by a chapter, or from a patron, who is properly said to present to it, or is conferred by the proper ecclesiastical superior; these nominations, in the Roman Catholic Church, regularly need confirmation from the pope. His action may cause a benefice to be reserved or affected (which see); or the collation is made alternative, that is, to the pope and regular patron or superior, according to the months in which the benefice falls vacant, by definite system.
3. n. Benefit.
4. To endow or invest with a benefice.

Wiktionary

1. n. Land granted to a priest in a church that has a source of income attached to it.
2. v. To bestow a benefice upon

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. obsolete A favor or benefit.
2. n. (Feudal Law) An estate in lands; a fief.
3. n. An ecclesiastical living and church preferment, as in the Church of England; a church endowed with a revenue for the maintenance of divine service. See Advowson.
4. v. To endow with a benefice.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. an endowed church office giving income to its holder
2. v. endow with a benefice