emolument
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of emolument
First recorded in 1470–80; from Latin ēmolumentum “advantage, benefit,” probably a derivative of ēmol(ere) “to grind out, produce by grinding” ( ē- “from, out of” + molere “to grind”) + -u-, variant before labials of -i- + -mentum noun suffix; e- 1, mill 1, -i-, -ment
Explanation
Not many workers think of their paychecks as emoluments, but they certainly could. Emolument is another word for the money you receive for working. Pronounce emolument with a long e sound in the first syllable and the accent on the second: "e MALL you ment." Emolument traces back to the Latin word emolumentum, meaning "profit, gain," which is believed to have referred to payments made to millers for grinding corn — emolere means "grind out." Today, perhaps coincidentally, people refer to work as "the grind."
Vocabulary lists containing emolument
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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The Constitution of the United States
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Vocabulary from The Articles of Confederation
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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.
Article II, Section 1 and Article I, Section 9 of the Constitution prohibit the president in particular and public officials in general from receiving any emolument from domestic or foreign sources while in office.
From Salon • Apr. 21, 2024
District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan rejected the DOJ’s narrow interpretation of what constitutes an emolument as “unpersuasive and inconsistent.”
From Slate • Apr. 30, 2019
The foreign emolument prohibition covers anything of value from a foreign government.
From Washington Times • Nov. 2, 2018
Until now, the issue of what constitutes an illegal emolument has never been litigated.
From New York Times • Jun. 11, 2018
If I might be allowed to judge—and I have dear children of my own—I should say that no pecuniary emolument could ever balance such responsibilities.
From The Heatherford Fortune a sequel to the Magic Cameo by Sheldon, Georgie, Mrs.
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.
