benefit

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. Something that promotes or enhances well-being; an advantage: The field trip was of great benefit to the students.
2. n. Help; aid.
3. n. A payment made or an entitlement available in accordance with a wage agreement, an insurance policy, or a public assistance program.
4. n. A public entertainment, performance, or social event held to raise funds for a person or cause.
5. n. Archaic A kindly deed.
6. v. To be helpful or useful to.
7. v. To derive benefit: You will benefit from her good example.
8. idiom. benefit of the doubt A favorable judgment granted in the absence of full evidence.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A thing well done; a good deed.
2. n. An act of kindness; a favor conferred; good done to a person.
3. n. Advantage; profit; concretely, anything that is for the good or advantage of a person or thing; a particular kind of good receivable or received.
4. n. Bestowal, as of property, office, etc., out of good will, grace, or favor; liberality; generosity.
5. n. A performance at a theater or other place of public entertainment, the proceeds of which go to one or more of the actors, some indigent or deserving person, some charitable institution, or the like. In Great Britain also called a bespeak.
6. n. A natural advantage; endowment; accomplishment.
7. To do good to; be of service to; advantage: as, exercise benefits health; trade benefits a nation.
8. Same as beneficiate, 2.
9. To gain advantage; make improvement: as, he has benefited by good advice.

Wiktionary

1. n. An advantage, help or aid from something.
2. n. A payment made in accordance with an insurance policy or a public assistance scheme.
3. n. A performance, etc, given to raise funds for some cause.
4. v. transitive To be or to provide a benefit to.
5. v. intransitive To receive a benefit (from). To be a beneficiary.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. An act of kindness; a favor conferred.
2. n. Whatever promotes prosperity and personal happiness, or adds value to property; advantage; profit.
3. n. A theatrical performance, a concert, or the like, the proceeds of which do not go to the lessee of the theater or to the company, but to some individual actor, or to some charitable use.
4. n. obsolete Beneficence; liberality.
5. n. rare Natural advantages; endowments; accomplishments.
6. v. To be beneficial to; to do good to; to advantage; to advance in health or prosperity; to be useful to; to profit.
7. v. To gain advantage; to make improvement; to profit.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. financial assistance in time of need
2. n. a performance to raise money for a charitable cause
3. v. derive a benefit from
4. v. be beneficial for
5. n. something that aids or promotes well-being