The term "defined benefit plan" refers to which of the following:

A defined benefit plan is a type of retirement plan that promises a specified monthly benefit upon retirement, which is often based on factors such as salary and years of service. One common form of defined benefit plan is the cash balance plan, which combines features of both defined benefit and defined contribution plans.

In a cash balance plan, participants have an account that grows annually with a guaranteed interest credit, and at retirement, they can choose to receive their benefit as a lump sum or annuity. This contrasts with the other options where benefits are based on contributions and investment performance rather than a promised benefit amount.

Money purchase pension and 401(k) plans are examples of defined contribution plans, which do not guarantee a specific payout but instead depend on contributions and investment returns. Similarly, employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) are also defined contribution plans that focus on employee ownership of stock rather than guaranteed retirement benefits. Therefore, the cash balance plan uniquely fits the definition of a defined benefit plan by providing a predetermined benefit structure.