1
- an advantage or profit gained from something利益, 益处, 好处：
enjoy the benefits of being a member
享受作为成员的好处
mass noun the changes are of benefit to commerce.这些变化对商贸有益。
2
- payment made by the state or an insurance scheme to someone entitled to receive it, for example an unemployed person（国家或保险计划按规定支付的）补助费, 救济金, 抚恤金, 保险金：
a state benefit
政府救济金
mass noun families on benefit享受补贴的家庭。
3
- a public performance or game of which the proceeds go to a particular player or charitable cause义演, 义赛。
(benefited或benefitted, benefiting 或benefitting)
1- no obj. receive an advantage; profit得益; 获利：
areas that would benefit from regeneration
将从复兴中受益的区域。
1.1
- with obj. bring advantage to有益于, 对…有好处：
the bill will benefit Britain
议案将使英国得益。
短语
benefit of clergy
1
- historical exemption of the English clergy and nuns from the jurisdiction of the ordinary civil courts, granted in the Middle Ages but abolished in 1827〈史〉英格兰神职人员或修女不受普通民事法院审判的特权（始于中世纪, 1827年废除）。
2
- ecclesiastical sanction or approval教会的批准（指在教堂举行结婚仪式）：
they lived together without benefit of clergy.
他们未经教会同意正式结婚就同居了。
the benefit of the doubt
- a concession that a person or fact must be regarded as correct or justified, if the contrary has not been proven在未证明某人是否有过失以前假定某人无过失, 在未确定某种情况是否属实前假定某种情况属实; 无罪推定（指在没有证据之前, 先假定某人无罪或相信某人的清白）：
I'll give you the benefit of the doubt as to whether it was deliberate or not.
在未证实你是否蓄意为之以前, 我不认为你应承担责任。
for the benefit of
1
- in order to help, guide, or be of service to为了…的利益：
a venue run for the benefit of the community.
专为社区服务的会堂。
1.1
- in order to interest or impress (someone)为引起（某人）的兴趣, 做给…看的：
it was all an act put on for his benefit.
这都是做戏给他看的。
词源
late Middle English (originally denoting a kind deed or something well done)： from Old French bienfet, from Latin benefactum 'good deed'， from bene facere 'do good (to)'.