sinecure: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2/RareFormal, literary, historical.
Quick answer
What does “sinecure” mean?
A position requiring little or no work but yielding financial or other benefits.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A position requiring little or no work but yielding financial or other benefits.
In broader usage, any job, office, or arrangement where one receives payment or perks with minimal corresponding responsibility or effort. Historically, a church office without pastoral duties.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning. More historically resonant in UK contexts due to history of church and aristocratic patronage.
Connotations
Equally negative and formal in both varieties.
Frequency
Slightly more likely to be encountered in UK historical/political commentary but remains rare in both.
Grammar
How to Use “sinecure” in a Sentence
[Person/Group] + hold/be given/have + a/the + sinecure[It] + is/was + a + sinecure[Position] + constituted a sinecureVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “sinecure” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The position was sinecured to the minister's cousin.
American English
- He was sinecured into a do-nothing role on the board.
adjective
British English
- He held a sinecure position for decades.
American English
- The sinecure appointment drew immediate criticism.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used critically to describe unproductive roles created through nepotism.
Academic
Used in historical, political science, or sociological texts to describe patronage systems.
Everyday
Extremely rare. Might be used humorously to describe a very easy task.
Technical
Used in ecclesiastical history and studies of political corruption.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “sinecure”
- Misspelling as 'synacure', 'cinecure'.
- Using it to neutrally describe any easy job.
- Confusing with 'sine qua non'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Not necessarily, though it is often associated with corrupt patronage. Historically, many were legal but morally questionable positions.
Rarely. Its connotation is almost always negative, implying the recipient does not earn their keep. Using it positively would be ironic or sarcastic.
From Latin 'sine cura' meaning 'without care' (i.e., without the care of souls, referring to a church office without pastoral duties).
Very close, but 'no-show job' is modern slang and implies literal non-attendance, while 'sinecure' is a formal term that can include roles with minimal, token duties.
A position requiring little or no work but yielding financial or other benefits.
Sinecure is usually formal, literary, historical. in register.
Sinecure: in British English it is pronounced /ˈsɪnɪkjʊə/, /ˈsaɪnɪkjʊə/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈsaɪnɪkjʊr/, /ˈsɪnɪkjʊr/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “A sinecure for life”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'SIGN a CURE' for a job – you just sign a paper and are cured of having to work.
Conceptual Metaphor
EMPLOYMENT IS A GIFT (unearned, bestowed by a patron).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following best describes a 'sinecure'?