Origin Medieval
A sinecure is a position with a salary, or otherwise generating income, that requires or involves little or no responsibility, labour or active service. The term originated in the medieval church, where it signified a post without responsibility for the cure, or care, of souls, meaning the regular liturgical and pastoral functions of a cleric, but it came to be applied to any post, secular or ecclesiastical, that involved little or no actual work. Sinecures historically provided a potent tool for governments or monarchs to distribute patronage, while recipients were able to accumulate titles and easy salaries. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Facts
Origin Period Core PrincipleA position with a salary or income that requires little or no responsibility, labour, or active service. 2 Origin Period
Origin Period (category) Connections
Sources
1. Sinecure (Wikipedia)
2. Sinecure (Wikipedia)
Lead section, first paragraph
The term originated in the medieval church, where it signified a post without any responsibility for the "cure [care] of souls", the regular liturgical and pastoral functions of a cleric, but came to be applied to any post, secular or ecclesiastical, that involved little or no actual work.
Lead section, first sentence
is a position with a salary or otherwise generating income that requires or involves little or no responsibility, labour, or active service.
View the SourceFrequently Asked Questions
Where does the word sinecure come from?
From the medieval church, for a post without the cure of souls.
The term originated in the medieval church, where it signified a post without responsibility for the cure, or care, of souls, meaning the regular liturgical and pastoral functions of a cleric. It later came to be applied to any post, secular or ecclesiastical, that involved little or no actual work.
Why were sinecures historically useful to governments and monarchs?
They were a tool for distributing patronage.
Sinecures historically provided a potent tool for governments or monarchs to distribute patronage, while recipients were able to accumulate titles and easy salaries.
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