benefice

See also: Benefice and bénéfice

English

Etymology

From Old French benefice, from Latin beneficium.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈbɛnɪfɪs/

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

Noun

benefice (plural benefices)

1. Land granted to a priest in a church that has a source of income attached to it.
   • 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Printed by John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC:

     If after long expectation, much expense, travel, earnest suit of ourselves and friends, we obtain a small benefice at last, our misery begins afresh […]

   • 2007, Edwin Mullins, The Popes of Avignon, Blue Bridge 2008, p.94:

     There were as many as one hundred thousand benefices offered during the period of his papacy, according to one chronicler and eyewitness.

2. (obsolete) A favour or benefit.
   • 16??, Richard Baxter, Breviate of the Life of Mrs Margaret Baxter

     resolved to serve Christ at the dearest rates, and take his acceptance and the winning of souls for their benefice

3. (feudal law) An estate in lands; a fief.

Translations

land granted to a priest

• Finnish: pappilan maat
• Polish: beneficjum (pl) n

benefit — see benefit

in feudal law

• Polish: beneficjum (pl) n

Verb

benefice (third-person singular simple present benefices, present participle beneficing, simple past and past participle beneficed)

1. To bestow a benefice upon
   • 1917, George A. Stephen, Three Centuries of a City Library‎^[1]:

     There are two volumes, "The Open Door for Man's approach to God" (London, 1650) and "A Consideration of Infant Baptism" (London, 1653), by John Horne, who was beneficed at All Hallows, King's Lynn.

   • 1851, Horace Greeley, Glances at Europe‎^[2]:

     You clergymen of the Established Church have been richly endowed and beneficed expressly for this work--why don't you DO it?

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from French bénéfice.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌbeː.nəˈfis/, /ˌbeː.neːˈfis/

• Audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: be‧ne‧fice

Noun

benefice m or n (plural benefices)

1. (obsolete) An office, privilege or advantage
2. (obsolete) A charitative event or institution.

Latin

Etymology 1

From beneficus (“beneficent, generous”) +‎ -ē.

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /beˈne.fi.keː/, [bɛˈnɛfɪkeː]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /beˈne.fi.t͡ʃe/, [beˈnɛːfit͡ʃe]

Adverb

beneficē (comparative beneficius, no superlative)

1. beneficently

Etymology 2

Adjective

benefice

1. vocative masculine singular of beneficus

References

• “benefice”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• benefice in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette

Old French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin beneficium.

Noun

benefice m (oblique plural benefices, nominative singular benefices, nominative plural benefice)

1. (ecclesiastical) benefice
2. favour, advantage
3. benefit