Make Your Point > Archived Issues > SINECURE

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connect today's word to others: In Latin, a beneficium sine cūrā is a benefice without cure--without curing souls, that is, a paid "job" for a clergyperson that doesn't actually require doing any work with the members of the church. That sounds like a terrible idea and a waste of church funds, right? But would you turn down a sinecure if it were offered to you? :) Anyway, sinecurism seems like such a terrible idea that I had to do some research to figure out why folks even started the practice. I learned that it was a sneaky maneuver, prevalent in the English Church in the 18th century: when an area became depopulated, with no more need for church services, it still received funding for them, so those on the receiving end stuck their hands in their pockets, whistled, looked away, and pocketed the payments. And it wasn't just in the church--it was also in the civil service where those leftover positions, those sinecures, were clenched onto, and doled out as rewards. Getting back to sinecure's literal meaning, "without cure," let's recall a related term that means "without." It's just one syllable, and of all the words we've explored in Make Your Point, it's the only preposition. Can you recall it? It's s___. (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "SINECURE" A sinecure is a paid job that involves no work (or very little work). And, we can use "sinecure" loosely like an adjective to mean "involving very little work for plenty of pay." Pronunciation: Either "SINE uh cure" (which I recommend) or "SIN uh cure." Part of speech: Countable noun. (Countable nouns, like "bottle," "piece," and "decision," are words for things that can be broken into exact units. You talk about "a bottle," "three pieces," and "many decisions." Likewise, talk about one sinecure or multiple sinecures.) Other forms worth knowing: Just the plural, "sinecures," is common these days. You can also sinecure people--meaning you give them sinecures--or talk about sinecured people, those who are lucky enough to have sinecures. And, you can call people sinecurists or talk about sinecurism in general. But all those forms are rare. How to use it: The tone of this word is formal, scholarly, and often negative: sinecures often suggest greed, jealousy, manipulation of the system, and the reckless misspending of resources. You can refer to certain jobs or titles as sinecures even if they don't require literally zero work--if, for example, they require only very easy or very minimal work, or if people hold onto them for a lifetime without ever being challenged, questioned, or fired. You might add an adjective and talk about academic sinecures, political sinecures, corporate sinecures, lifetime sinecures, or extravagant sinecures. And, to emphasize how much real work a certain job involves, you can say that it's no sinecure. examples: For eight months he's remained suspended with pay, luxuriating in a sinecure that wastes public funds and infuriates citizens. "Why not shake awake labor leaders who preserve the sinecures of their least inspired workers rather than ask them to work harder to create a better city?"    —Michael Powell, The New York Times, 26 December 2011 study it now: Look away from the screen to define "sinecure" without saying "cushy job" or "easy paycheck." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "(Doing a certain job) is not the sinecure it might seem to (certain people); it requires _____." Example: "Being a pop star is not the sinecure it might seem to young fans; it requires a grueling schedule of rehearsing, traveling, performing, and giving interviews." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. Apt Adjective Anagrams!  I'll invent a person's name and a brief description of that person, and you unscramble the letters in the name to form an adjective that aptly describes the person or the person's situation. For example, if I say "Naomi Cirous is still holding a grudge," then you rearrange the letters in "Naomi Cirous" to form the adjective "acrimonious," meaning "sharp, bitter, and mean"--an appropriate adjective for someone holding a grudge. From the previous issue: You never know what Catie Ming is thinking; her facial expressions are unreadable; her comments, mysterious. Answer: She's enigmatic. Try this today: Steven Jencu looks younger every time you see him. review today's word: 1. A close opposite of SINECURE is A. DISEASE. B. QUALIFICATION. C. THANKLESS JOB. 2. Aiming to _____, they first ensured that none of the employees held sinecures. A. reduce food waste B. foster camaraderie C. shrink their budget Answers are below. a final word: Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each weekday morning by Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From Liesl's blog:    36 ways to study words.    Why we forget words, & how to remember them.    How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. C 2. C