bene

Bene is a term with several uses in language, literature, and onomastics. In Italian, bene is an adverb meaning well and is used similarly to English "well" or "good" in many phrases; it can also appear as a noun meaning "the good" in philosophical or moral discussions. In Latin, bene likewise means well and figures in many expressions; it has given rise to numerous English derivatives.

In English, bene- is a combining form from Latin bene meaning "good." It occurs in a variety of words that denote benefit or virtue, such as beneficial, benevolent, and beneficiary, as well as in less common terms. This prefix often signals a positive or advantageous sense.

Bene is also used in fiction and naming. The best-known instance in popular culture is the Bene Gesserit, a fictional sisterhood in Frank Herbert's Dune universe, where the word Bene is part of a proper name drawing on Latin roots. The term can appear in other fictional or literary names as well.

As a surname or place name, Bene may appear in different cultures, though specific uses depend on regional linguistic histories. In everyday usage, Bene functions chiefly as a linguistic element: an Italian adverb and a Latin word meaning well, and a source language for the English prefix bene- that conveys goodness or advantage.