benison

noun

ben·​i·​son ˈbe-nə-sən 

-zən

: blessing, benediction

Did you know?

Benison and its synonym benediction share more than a common meaning; the two words come from the same root, the Latin benedicere, meaning "to bless." (Benedicere comes from the Latin bene dicere—"to speak well of"—a combination of the Latin bene, meaning "well," and dicere, "to say.") Of the two words, benediction is more common today, but benison has a longer history in English. Records show that benison has been used in our language since the 13th century, whereas benediction didn't appear in print until the 15th century.

Synonyms

• benediction
• blessing

Examples of benison in a Sentence

during the harbor festival the parish priest offered a benison for the local fishermen

Recent Examples on the Web

Again, not a bad gag, except that Vance, without ado, then pivoted and stiffened into piety, explaining how the touch of God had granted him the benison of a decent sleep before his speech. —Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 25 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English beneson, from Anglo-French beneiçon, from Late Latin benediction-, benedictio

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

benison

noun

ben·​i·​son ˈben-ə-sən 

-zən

: blessing sense 1