pecuniary

American  

[pi-kyoo-nee-er-ee] / pɪˈkyu niˌɛr i /

adjective

1. of or relating to money.

   pecuniary difficulties.

2. consisting of or given or exacted in money or monetary payments.

   pecuniary tributes.

3. (of a crime, violation, etc.) involving a money penalty or fine.

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pecuniary British  

/ pɪˈkjuːnɪərɪ /

adjective

1. consisting of or relating to money

2. law (of an offence) involving a monetary penalty

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Related Words

See financial.

Other Word Forms

• nonpecuniary adjective
• pecuniarily adverb

Etymology

Origin of pecuniary

First recorded in 1500–10; from Latin pecūniārius, derivative of pecūnia “property, money (wealth in cattle),” derivative of pecū “flock”; peculiar, fief ( def. )

Explanation

If something has to do with money, it's pecuniary. If your grandfather's antique watch has pecuniary value, it's worth money — you could sell it for cash if you weren't sentimentally attached to keeping it. Pecuniary might seem like a peculiar word for talking about money, but it all adds up when you learn that it was the worth of the cattle, or pecū in Latin, that gave pecuniary its meaning. In Roman times, livestock served as money in making transactions. Some cultures still have economies based on cattle, but most modern societies have a pecuniary system based on, well, money.

Example Sentences

The state’s existing wrongful death statute calculates how much families are compensated based on pecuniary loss, or the potential earning power of the deceased person.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 29, 2023

The Indian cricket system, despite all of its shortcomings, has been successful in providing top-class facilities, creating opportunities for competitive matches and substantial pecuniary rewards for players at every age group.

From BBC • Sep. 30, 2023

The regulator is seeking declarations of contravention, pecuniary penalties and adverse publicity orders against IAL and IMA from the court.

From Reuters • Aug. 24, 2023

These state programs “are unbiased and don’t have a pecuniary interest in your decision making,” Mr. Lipschutz said.

From New York Times • Nov. 5, 2022

The inspections at the Emporion had their pecuniary purpose, of course.

From "Circumference" by Nicholas Nicastro