The meaning of BENEFICIARY is a person or thing that receives help or an advantage from something : one that benefits from something. How to use beneficiary in a sentence. Did you know? A beneficiary in the broadest sense is a natural person or other legal entity who receives money or other benefits from a benefactor. For example, the beneficiary of a life insurance policy is the person who receives the payment of the amount of insurance after the death of the insured. Beneficiary definition : One that receives a benefit.Origin of Beneficiary Medieval Latin beneficiārius holder of a feudal benefice from Latin soldier granted privileges from beneficium benefit benefice From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition Latin bene (“well”) + facio (“make”) + -ary From Wiktionary