stipend
Americannoun
-
a periodic payment, especially a scholarship or fellowship allowance granted to a student.
-
fixed or regular pay; salary.
noun
Related Words
See pay 1.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of stipend
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English stipendie, from Latin stīpendium “soldier's pay,” syncopated variant of *stipipendium, equivalent to stipi-, combining form of stips a coin + pend(ere) “to weigh out, pay” ( see pend) + -ium noun suffix ( see -ium)
Compare meaning
How does stipend compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A stipend is a fixed, regular payment, usually meant to pay for something specific. It's kind of like an allowance, but for grownups — a college scholarship might include a stipend each semester for books, for example. Coming from the Latin stipendium, which means “tax, pay, or gift,” the noun stipend is defined as a regular, unchanging payment usually given as reward for services, but sometimes given as an allowance with no services or expectations attached. A summer internship that does not offer a full salary might instead include a weekly stipend that covers transportation and lunch costs. Synonyms include salary and payment.
Vocabulary lists containing stipend
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He has also created a new award: Whoever comes up with the most effective AI-driven process wins a vacation stipend worth several thousand dollars.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 25, 2026
EU lawmakers could employ assistants with the monthly staffing stipend the parliament gave them -- which was 21,379 euros in 2024, he said.
From Barron's • Jan. 20, 2026
Garcia was paid $795,000 and received a $96,000 housing stipend in 2025.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 20, 2025
According to the yearlong study published this month, of the unhoused people who received the cash stipend, 48% exited homelessness, compared with 43% in a control group of homeless individuals who did not receive money.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 30, 2025
Something about a star of honor from the U.N. and a stipend.
From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
