Emoluments

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Forms of compensation or benefits received for services rendered or as part of a job
2. Payments or perks that individuals receive as part of their employment or role, often tied to official positions
3. Financial gains, rewards, or allowances given in exchange for work or responsibility, typically in a professional context

Etymology: The grinding of grain gave this word its start. In Latin, "emolumentum" meant the profit a miller kept for milling, the portion of flour that counted as his pay. It is generally traced to "emolere," "to grind out," built from "molere," "to grind," which is also the root of "mill" and "molar." The leap from a miller's share of the flour to salaries and perks came through the idea of gain from any work or office. Over time the word shed its milling connection and came to describe the fees, wages, and benefits attached to a job, especially a public or official post. A modern reader meets it most often in legal and governmental language, where it still refers to the compensation that comes with holding an office.

Synonyms: compensation, payment, salary