Blessee

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A person who receives blessings, or good wishes, often in a religious or spiritual context
2. An individual granted special favors or protection, particularly during a ceremonial or sacred rite
3. Someone who is the subject of a blessing, signifying a gift or benefit bestowed upon them from a higher authority

Etymology: "Blessee" is a plain English formation: the verb "bless" with the suffix "-ee," which marks the person on the receiving end of an action. The same pattern gives us "employee," the person who is employed, and "trainee," the person being trained. Attaching "-ee" to a verb to name the recipient is a productive English habit, so "blessee" follows an established model rather than an unusual one. The verb "bless" itself has a longer past. It descends from Old English "blēdsian," which was tied to the sacrificial blood used to consecrate things, and its roots reach back into Germanic and beyond. The suffix "-ee" came into English through Anglo-French, from Old French "-é," which itself traces to the Latin "-ātus" ending. So the word is built from an ancient English verb and a suffix that travelled through French before settling into English.

Synonyms: blessed one, recipient, beneficiary

Antonyms: blesser, giver