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

Teachers get four weeks at full pay, followed by two weeks at 90% of pay, followed by 12 weeks of half pay topped up with the statutory maternity pay.

From BBC • Aug. 1, 2024

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

So it happened that at the end of his life, and when he was on half pay, and half an invalid, my father began to make a little money from his stories.

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 half pay attention as they make plans.

From "A Soft Place to Land" by Janae Marks