A beneficiary is someone who receives something valuable, like money, property, or help. The word comes from Latin roots meaning “to do good for,” and it describes the person on the receiving end of that good.

You'll often hear this word in connection with wills and insurance. When someone writes a will, they name beneficiaries who will receive their possessions after they die. If your grandmother names you as a beneficiary in her will, you might inherit her collection of old books or a savings account. Life insurance policies also have beneficiaries: the people who receive money if the policyholder dies.

The word appears in other contexts too. Students who receive scholarships are beneficiaries of those funds. If a charity distributes meals to families in need, those families are the beneficiaries of the program. A town that receives a generous donation to build a new library is the beneficiary of someone's generosity.

Being a beneficiary doesn't mean you did anything to earn what you receive. It simply means someone chose to help you or include you in their plans. The opposite of a beneficiary is a benefactor: the person who gives the gift or provides the benefit. A benefactor gives, a beneficiary receives.