Legal Definition and Related Resources of Benefice

An ecclesiastical term; means the office and emoluments of a rector , a vicar of a parochial church , and in the case of a rector includes the freehold of the parsonage house , the glebe, the tithes and other dues, or in the case of the vicar, a proportion of these emoluments. In modern sense, it may be classified as rectories, vicarages and perpetual curacies; also applicable to archdeaconry.

An ecclesiastical preferment. In its more extended sense, it includes any such preferment; in a more limited sense, it applies to rectories and vicarages only. See “Beneficium.”

Browse or run a search for Benefice in the American Encyclopedia of Law, the Asian Encyclopedia of Law, the European Encyclopedia of Law, the UK Encyclopedia of Law or the Latin American and Spanish Encyclopedia of Law.

Benefice in Historical Law

You might be interested in the historical meaning of this term. Browse or search for Benefice in Historical Law in the Encyclopedia of Law.

Search for legal acronyms and/or abbreviations containing Benefice in the Legal Abbreviations and Acronyms Dictionary.

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Mentioned in these terms

Cession, Impatronisation, Impatronization, Incumbent, Induction, Institution, Mandatory, Patron, Rector, Rectory, Simony, Spoliation.

What does Benefice mean in American Law?

The definition of Benefice in the law of the United States, as defined by the lexicographer Arthur Leff in his legal dictionary is:

The Latin is beneficium. In feudal law, an estate held in ecclesiastical tenure. In post-feudal times, most broadly, any ecclesiastical office or living, e.g., an archbishopric, bishopric, deanery, etc. But usually used to describe the office and living (i.e., right to maintenance, e.g., tithes) of one directly charged with the “cure of souls,” e.g., rectors and vicars of parish churches. See also advowson.

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This definition of Benefice Is based on the The Cyclopedic Law Dictionary . This definition needs to be proofread..

Vocabularies (Semantic Web Information)

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Meaning of Benefice in the Past

In its most extended sense, any ecclesiastical preferment or dignity; but in its more limited sense, it is applied only to rectories and vicarages. [1]

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Notes and References

1. Partialy, this information about benefice is based on the Bouvier´s Law Dictionary, 1848 edition. There is a list of terms of the Bouvier´s Law Dictionary, including benefice.

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