half pay

American  

noun

1. half one's regular pay.

2. a reduced amount paid to a British army or navy officer when not in actual service or after retirement.

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Etymology

Origin of half pay

First recorded in 1655–65

Example Sentences

She added she worked through the pandemic but was currently off work on half pay due to having long Covid.

From BBC • Nov. 7, 2022

They survived the pandemic — Bilal was on half pay for a while, but the government made up the other half.

From New York Times • Dec. 21, 2021

I was in school in England when this happened, and I worried about the effect of this half pay on my family; things had been bad enough on my father’s full pay.

From The New Yorker • Dec. 30, 2019

Recent defectors from the group have indicated that many fighters are on half pay and some haven’t received salaries in months.

From Washington Post • Apr. 26, 2016

I only half pay attention when he reads, because Gat has not kissed me or reached out to me since we agreed to act normal.

From "We Were Liars" by E. Lockhart