WordValesinecure
a position that pays but requires little or no work
In more detail
1. (noun) a job or position that pays money but requires little or no work
2. (noun) an easy and comfortable situation that brings financial benefit
Examples
- 1. He found a sinecure as a consultant, attending only a few meetings each year.
- 2. After retiring from active duty, the general was offered a sinecure on the company's board of directors.
How to use sinecure
A sinecure typically refers to a position, often obtained through patronage or connections, that provides income with minimal actual work or responsibility. It carries a mildly critical tone, suggesting undeserved benefit or abuse of a system. The term is commonly used in political and institutional contexts to describe nepotistic appointments.
Common phrases
- a lucrative sinecure
- political sinecure
- comfortable sinecure
- obtain a sinecure
- sinecure position
Synonyms
cushy job · gravy train · plum job · easy money · soft touch
Opposites
demanding job · thankless task
Word family
sinecure (noun) · sinecural (adjective)
A common mistake
Learners sometimes confuse sinecure with sincere; sinecure comes from Latin sine cura (without care) and has no relation to sincerity.
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