What does benedick mean?
A benedick is a man who, after years — often many years — of insisting that he would never marry, finally takes a wife. The term is literary in flavor and usually carries a light, teasing connotation, celebrating or mocking the convert's change of heart. It derives from Benedick, one of the wittiest anti-marriage characters in English literature, from William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing (c. 1598–99), whose sharp-tongued sparring with Beatrice ends in an unexpected betrothal. The word entered general use in the seventeenth century and is sometimes spelled without the final k, as 'benedict'. Today it appears chiefly in humorous or journalistic writing about a well-known bachelor's engagement or wedding, as in remarks that the lifelong cynic has finally turned benedick. Its natural opposite is the confirmed bachelor, a man equally committed to remaining single.
nounA man who has been a confirmed bachelor for a long time and then marries, especially one who had sworn he never would.
- A man who has long been a confirmed bachelor but eventually marries.
"After years of declaring that marriage was not for him, James finally became a benedick last spring."
"Once the most vocal opponent of matrimony in his circle, Tom surprised everyone by turning benedick at forty-five."
"The old club's remaining bachelors teased him mercilessly about becoming a benedick after his whirlwind engagement."
Standard plural, formed by adding -s; used when referring to more than one such newly married former bachelor.
"The club, once full of proud bachelors, now counted three benedicks among its members."
The word for a bachelor who finally gives in and marries comes straight from Shakespeare's most famous marriage-skeptic — Benedick of Much Ado About Nothing.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of benedick
The word comes from Benedick (or Benedick/Benedick), the name of the confirmed-bachelor character in Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, written around 1598–99, who famously vows never to marry before being outwitted into doing so. The name itself derives from Latin benedictus, meaning 'blessed', from bene ('well') and dicere ('to speak'), literally 'well-spoken of'. By the early seventeenth century the character's name had become a common noun for any long-term bachelor who marries, and the variant spelling 'benedict' remains current alongside it.
How benedick is actually used
The word is literary and somewhat rare or humorous in modern usage, often carrying a teasing or affectionate tone rather than a neutral descriptive one. It is frequently capitalized as 'Benedick' when alluding directly to Shakespeare's character, and the variant spelling 'benedict' is also well established for the common-noun sense.
Easily confused with benedick
A benediction is a spoken blessing, while a benedick is a formerly confirmed bachelor who has married.
Benedict (without the -k) is the same word meaning a newly married former bachelor, and also the name of Shakespeare's character; 'benedick' is the spelling used for the character and the derived common noun.