pecuniary
[ pi-kyoo-nee-er-ee ]
/ pɪˈkyu niˌɛr i /
adjective
of or relating to money: pecuniary difficulties.
consisting of or given or exacted in money or monetary payments: pecuniary tributes.
(of a crime, violation, etc.) involving a money penalty or fine.
Nearby words
Origin of pecuniary
Related formspe·cu·ni·ar·i·ly [pi-kyoo-nee-air-i-lee] /pɪˌkyu niˈɛər ɪ li/, adverbnon·pe·cu·ni·ar·y, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for pecuniary
British Dictionary definitions for pecuniary
pecuniary
/ (pɪˈkjuːnɪərɪ) /
adjective
consisting of or relating to money
law (of an offence) involving a monetary penalty
Derived Formspecuniarily, adverb
Word Origin for pecuniary
C16: from Latin pecūniāris, from pecūnia money
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for pecuniary
pecuniary
c.1500, from Latin pecuniarius "pertaining to money," from pecunia "money, property, wealth," from pecu "cattle, flock," from PIE root *peku- "wealth, movable property, livestock" (cf. Sanskrit pasu- "cattle," Gothic faihu "money, fortune," Old English feoh "cattle, money").
Livestock was the measure of wealth in the ancient world. For a possible parallel sense development in Old English, see fee, and cf., evolving in the other direction, cattle. Cf. also Welsh tlws "jewel," cognate with Irish tlus "cattle," connected via notion of "valuable thing."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper