beneficiary
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beneficiary
A person who gains an advantage, profit, or benefit from a situation, development, or from owning or having access to something.
Die Kinder sind die eigentlichen Nutznießer der neuen Spielplätze in der Stadt.
The children are the real beneficiaries of the new playgrounds in the city.
The word consists of 'Nutzen' (benefit) and 'nießen', an old form of 'genießen' (to enjoy). A 'Nutznießer' (beneficiary) is therefore literally someone who enjoys the benefit of something.
Er war der alleinige Nutznießer des Vertrags.
He was the sole beneficiary of the contract.
To say what someone benefits from, German usually uses the genitive or the preposition 'von' with the dative. For example: 'der Nutznießer der Reform' (the beneficiary of the reform) or 'der Nutznießer von der Situation' (the beneficiary of the situation).
Die Aktionäre waren die Hauptnutznießer des gestiegenen Aktienkurses.
The shareholders were the main beneficiaries of the rising share price.
Common combinations are 'Nutznießer der Krise' (beneficiary of the crisis), 'Nutznießer der Entwicklung' (beneficiary of the development), or 'Nutznießer der Politik' (beneficiary of the policy). The word can have a slightly negative connotation when someone benefits without any effort of their own.
Einige Unternehmen waren die großen Nutznießer der Pandemie.
Some companies were the big beneficiaries of the pandemic.
The legal meaning is used almost exclusively in legal specialist language, especially in wills, contracts, and inheritance matters.
Im Testament wurde ihr Sohn als Nutznießer des gesamten Vermögens eingesetzt.
In the will, her son was named as the beneficiary of the entire estate.
owner
'der Besitzer' and 'der Nutznießer' can both be connected to a thing or a situation, but they do not mean the same thing. 'der Besitzer' is the person who owns something. 'der Nutznießer' is the person who gains an advantage or profit from something. This can also be someone who does not own the thing. In the legal sense, a 'Nutznießer' may use someone else’s property and receive income from it. The words can be confused because ownership and benefit often go together. The important point is: 'Besitzer' answers the question 'Who owns it?', while 'Nutznießer' answers 'Who benefits from it?'
Von der neuen Buslinie sind vor allem die Pendler die Nutznießer.
The main beneficiaries of the new bus line are commuters.
Tom ist der Besitzer des kleinen Restaurants am Marktplatz.
Tom is the owner of the small restaurant on the market square.