From Latin 'benedīcere' (to speak well of), 'bene' + 'dīcere' (to say) — literally a 'good word' that Christians adopted as blessing.
The utterance of a blessing, especially at the end of a religious service; a prayer asking for divine favour.
From Latin 'benedictiō' (a speaking well of, a blessing), from 'benedīcere' (to speak well of, to bless), from 'bene' (well) + 'dīcere' (to say, to speak). In Classical Latin, 'benedīcere' meant simply to speak well of someone — to praise. Early Christians adopted the word as the standard translation of Greek 'eulogia' (εὐλογία, a good word) and Hebrew 'berakhah' (blessing), giving it the specifically religious sense of invoking divine favour. Key roots