sinecure
Americannoun
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an office or position requiring little or no work, especially one yielding profitable returns.
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an ecclesiastical benefice without cure of souls.
noun
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a paid office or post involving minimal duties
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a Church benefice to which no spiritual or pastoral charge is attached
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of sinecure
First recorded in 1655–65; from Medieval Latin (beneficium) sine cūrā “(benefice) without care (of parishioners).” See cure
Explanation
If you have a cushy job — one that pays, but involves minimal work — then you have a sinecure. "Because he was the brother of the CEO, he was offered a sinecure in the company: he showed up each day and collected a paycheck, but others actually did his work." The noun sinecure comes from the Latin root words sine cura meaning "without care." It originally was used to describe a church position that did not include caring for the souls of parishioners, but that meaning is considered archaic now. The word is now usually associated with political appointments.
Vocabulary lists containing sinecure
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1984
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A Separate Peace
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But instead of receiving some cushy sinecure for his sacrifice, he finds himself exiled to Tulsa, Okla. to “plant a flag.”
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 13, 2022
And had Sasse wanted a think tank sinecure or some corporate board seats, no one would have protested.
From Washington Post • Oct. 14, 2022
The book was revised at Lake Geneva’s Montreux Palace, where Vladimir and Véra lived after Lolita’s success provided a comfortable sinecure.
From The Guardian • Sep. 13, 2020
In recent decades, though, it has become known mainly as a sinecure for wealthy donors and other well-connected types.
From New York Times • Aug. 4, 2020
The Wardenship was actually the number two job at the Mint, and could be treated as a sinecure.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
