sinecure

[ sahy-ni-kyoo r, sin-i- ]
/ ˈsaɪ nɪˌkyʊər, ˈsɪn ɪ- /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR sinecure ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

an office or position requiring little or no work, especially one yielding profitable returns.
an ecclesiastical benefice without cure of souls.

QUIZZES

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

"The Handmaid's Tale" was required reading for many of us in school. Everyone else has probably watched the very popular and addictive TV show. Do you remember this vocabulary from the book, and do you know what these terms mean?
Question 1 of 10
decorum
the act of or need for making up one's mind.
dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.
a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.
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Origin of sinecure

1655–65; < Medieval Latin (beneficium) sine cūrā (benefice) without care; see cure

OTHER WORDS FROM sinecure

si·ne·cure·ship, nounsi·ne·cur·ism, nounsi·ne·cur·ist, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH sinecure

cynosure sinecure

Words nearby sinecure

sine curve, sine die, sine prole, sine qua non, sine wave, sinecure, sinemet, sinew, sinewy, sinfjotli, sinfonia
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to sinecure

pushover, toast, vulnerable, lamb

Example sentences from the Web for sinecure

British Dictionary definitions for sinecure

sinecure
/ (ˈsaɪnɪˌkjʊə) /

noun

a paid office or post involving minimal duties
a Church benefice to which no spiritual or pastoral charge is attached

Derived forms of sinecure

sinecurism, nounsinecurist, noun

Word Origin for sinecure

C17: from Medieval Latin phrase (beneficium) sine cūrā (benefice) without cure (of souls), from Latin sine without + cūra cure, care
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