give someone the benefit of the doubt Definition

benefit
noun

1. Something good gained or received.

Thesaurus: advantage, gain, profit, help, good, avail, boon, blessing, asset, assistance; Antonym: harm, detriment.
2. Advantage or sake.

Example: for your benefit
3. A payment made by a government or company insurance scheme, usually to someone who is ill or out of work.

Example: social security benefit
Form: benefits (often)
4. A concert, match, performance at a theatre, etc from which the profits are given to a particular cause, person or group of people in need.

verb benefited, benefiting, benefitted, benefitting

intr
1. To gain an advantage or receive something good from it or as a result of it.

Form: benefit from something (especially)
Form: benefit by something
2. To do good to someone.

Thesaurus: aid, advance, profit, avail, enhance, further, promote, ameliorate; Antonym: harm, hinder.

Idiom: give someone the benefit of the doubt

In a case where some doubt remains: to assume that they are telling the truth, or are innocent, because there is not enough evidence to be certain that they are not.

Etymology: 14c: from French benfet, from Latin benefactum good deed.