Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

sinecure

/ˈsaɪ.nəˌkjʊɹ/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.88 in modern English

Syllables: sinecure
IPA: /ˈsaɪ.nəˌkjʊɹ/

10

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

1

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A position that requires little to no work, or easy work, but still gives an ample payment; a cushy job.

noun

An ecclesiastical benefice without the care of souls.

adj

Requiring no work for an ample reward.

adj

Having the appearance of functionality without being of any actual use or purpose.

verb

To put or place in a sinecure.

Transitive verb

Example Sentences

"Miss Briggs was not formally dismissed, but her place as companion was a sinecure and a derision […]"
"A lucrative sinecure in the Excise was bestowed on Ferguson."
"His prospects consisted of a hope that if he kept up appearances somebody would do something for him. The something appeared vaguely to his imagination as a private secretaryship or a sinecure of some sort."
"With extra traffic, numerous boat trains to and from Southampton Docks, and working of empty stock, his job, like that of most signalmen, is no sinecure."
"In the ADF, while the numbers vary between the individual services and the reserves, employment is no comfortable sinecure for any personnel and thus does not appeal to many people, male or female, especially under current pay scales."
"However, by the time of World War II (if not before), politics, at least in the federal sphere, was no longer regarded as sinecure for well-intentioned part-timers."

Etymology

From Ecclesiastical Latin sine cūrā (literally “without care”), ellipsis of beneficium sine cūrā (“benefice without cure [of souls, i.e. the office of a curate]”), formed from Medieval Latin sine (“without”) + cūrā (“care, charge, cure”).

Word Breakdown

Root: sine cūrā, sine

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈsaɪ.nəˌkjʊɹ/
British English: /ˈsaɪ.nɪˌkjʊə/

Usage

Transitive verb

Inflected Forms

sinecures (plural) sinecures (present, singular) sinecuring (participle, present) sinecured (participle, past) sinecured (past)

Derived Forms

sinecural sinecurism sinecurist

Frequently Paired Words

curate bargain cronyism

Synonyms

bankers' hours cushy number

Questions

How do you pronounce sinecure?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈsaɪ.nəˌkjʊɹ/.
What does sinecure mean?: A position that requires little to no work, or easy work, but still gives an ample payment; a cushy job.
Where does sinecure come from?: From Ecclesiastical Latin sine cūrā (literally “without care”), ellipsis of beneficium sine cūrā (“benefice without cure [of souls, i.e. the office of a curate]”), formed from Medieval Latin sine (“without”) + cūrā (“care, charge, cure”).

How to pronounce sinecure

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