remunerate: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1formal, business, legal
Quick answer
What does “remunerate” mean?
to pay (someone) for services rendered or work done.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
to pay (someone) for services rendered or work done
to compensate someone for their efforts, time, or expenses; to recompense, often in a formal or contractual context.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant usage differences. The word is equally formal and used in similar contexts in both varieties.
Connotations
Both varieties associate the word with formal compensation, legal contracts, and business dealings.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in British legal and HR documents, but the difference is marginal.
Grammar
How to Use “remunerate” in a Sentence
[SVO] The company remunerates its staff. | [SVOA] They remunerate her for her consultancy work. | [SVOA (with)] They remunerated the agent with a percentage of the profits.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “remunerate” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The board agreed to remunerate the interim director with a substantial bonus.
- Freelancers must be remunerated for any expenses incurred.
American English
- The contract stipulates how the firm will remunerate its partners.
- How do you plan to remunerate the consultants for their time?
adverb
British English
- (Rare) He was remuneratively employed for the first time in years.
American English
- (Rare) The work, though interesting, was not remuneratively satisfactory.
adjective
British English
- The remunerative package was a key factor in her decision.
- He found little that was remunerative in the voluntary role.
American English
- She sought a more remunerative position in the private sector.
- The deal was not financially remunerative but offered other benefits.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used in contracts, HR policies, and formal discussions about compensation packages.
Academic
Used in law, economics, and business studies texts discussing labour markets and compensation theory.
Everyday
Rare. 'Pay' is almost always used instead.
Technical
Used in legal and financial contexts where precise contractual obligations are detailed.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “remunerate”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “remunerate”
- Misspelling as 'renumerate' (wrong) or 'remumerate' (wrong). Incorrect preposition use, e.g., 'remunerate *on* their work' instead of 'remunerate *for* their work'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Remunerate' is a formal, often legal or business term implying a structured or obligated compensation. 'Pay' is the general, everyday term for giving money for goods or services.
Primarily, yes. While it can formally encompass other forms of compensation, its core meaning involves monetary payment. Non-monetary rewards are more accurately described with 'reward' or 'recompense'.
The noun is 'remuneration'. It refers to the payment itself (e.g., 'financial remuneration', 'adequate remuneration').
Remember it starts with 're-' and has a 'mu' like 'mutual' or 'mutable', not 'nu' like 'number'. Think: re-MU-nerate.
to pay (someone) for services rendered or work done.
Remunerate is usually formal, business, legal in register.
Remunerate: in British English it is pronounced /rɪˈmjuːnəreɪt/, and in American English it is pronounced /rɪˈmjunəreɪt/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “(none specific; the word itself is formal and rarely used idiomatically)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of the 'MU' in 'remunerate' as relating to 'MUtual' benefit – you get remunerated, and the work gets done. It also sounds like 'money-rate'.
Conceptual Metaphor
COMPENSATION IS A SETTLEMENT OF DEBT (a formal obligation is cleared)
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'remunerate' correctly?