benefice

See also: Benefice and bénéfice

English

Etymology

From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Old French benefice, from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Latin beneficium.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈbɛnɪfɪs/

Noun

benefice (plural benefices)

1. Land granted to a priest in a church that has a source of income attached to it.
   • Template:RQ:RBrtn AntmyMlncly, NYRB, 2001, vol.1, p.323:

     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.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Baxter to this entry?)

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

Verb

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?

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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.

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Latin

Etymology 1

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

Pronunciation

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

Adverb

beneficē (comparative beneficius, no superlative)

1. beneficently

Etymology 2

Adjective

(deprecated template usage) 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.

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Old French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin beneficium.

Noun

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

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