as in blessing
a prayer calling for divine care, protection, or favor during the harbor festival the parish priest offered a benison for the local fishermen

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of benison 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for benison
Noun
  • Vatican: Pope hopes to deliver blessing on Easter Pope Francis made a short and unannounced visit Saturday to St. Peter's Basilica to pray before this evening's Easter vigil and greet some of the faithful present.
    Phoebe Natanson, ABC News, 19 Apr. 2025
  • In theory someone else could read the speech while Francis could impart the blessing.
    Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The service will include prayer, scripture readings, communion, and worship music performed by an ensemble from Liberty University.
    Heather Hunter, The Washington Examiner, 14 Apr. 2025
  • One Catholic church in Washington Heights has held prayers every day since the collapse.
    Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 12 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Ennis has just repeated to Jack a few lines from his long-dead mother, to whom shows of affection did not come particularly naturally but whose spirit arises, nevertheless, to deliver a benediction that the living woman would have meant as mere domestic ritual.
    Michael Cunningham, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025
  • Pius stands facing the camera in a white cassock, two fingers of his right hand raised in benediction, his gaze penetrating and implacable.
    Cullen Murphy, airmail.news, 15 Feb. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Benison.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/benison. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!