benefice: Meaning and Definition of

ben•e•fice

Pronunciation: (ben'u-fis), [key]
— n., v., -ficed, -fic•ing.
—n.
  1. a position or post granted to an ecclesiastic that guarantees a fixed amount of property or income.
  2. the revenue itself.
  3. the equivalent of a fief in the early Middle Ages.
—v.t.
  1. to invest with a benefice or ecclesiastical living.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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