noun
- plural of benefice; church offices or positions that provide income to clergy members
Usage: ecclesiastical; formal
Examples
- The bishop distributed several benefices among the newly ordained priests.
- Medieval benefices often included land and property rights.
- He held multiple benefices throughout his ecclesiastical career.
- The reform aimed to prevent the accumulation of benefices by single individuals.
- These benefices provided steady income for rural clergy.
- The cathedral chapter controlled the appointment of local benefices.