Remuneration

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ɹɪˌmjuː.nəˈɹeɪ.ʃən/

Definitions

1. Compensation provided for work done or services rendered
2. Payment or financial reward received in exchange for labor or effort
3. Money given to someone as recompense for their labor or services

Etymology: Latin "remūnerārī" meant "to reward" or "to present with a gift," built from "re-" and "mūnerārī," a verb from "mūnus," which denoted a gift, duty, or public service. The Romans used "mūnus" for obligations as much as presents, so the root carried a sense of exchange and obligation from the start. The noun "remūnerātiō" (the act of rewarding) carried that same meaning of recompense, and English took it directly from Latin. Over time the English word narrowed. Its earlier senses were broader, covering any reward or recompense, including honours and favours, but in modern use it specifically means payment for labour or services. That narrowing is what makes it sound so businesslike today, even though its Latin ancestor simply meant a reward given for something done.

Synonyms: payment, compensation, salary, wage, reimbursement

Antonyms: debt, loss, forfeiture, nonpayment