If you occupy a favorable position in society or you have a good job, then you may well have heard how your envious or ill-wishers called your position a sinecure. But what does "sinecure" mean? In the modern world, this word is practically not used, however, it is a shame not to know it. From this article you can not only find out the meaning of this word, but also its etymology.
Origin of the word
Derived from the Latin expression sine cura animarum, which literally means "without caring for the soul".
In medieval Europe, a sinecure was a position in the Catholic Church. This position was only administrative and had nothing to do with pastoral work. The person holding this position did not care about the souls of the parishioners. After that, a figurative meaning also appeared, which became additional. Sinecure began to be called any position that brings good earnings, but is not associated with multiple responsibilities, sometimes not even associated with findingdirectly at the place of work. It is noteworthy that this value is now the main one.
Meaning of the word "sinecure"
So, now that you have learned the etymology of the word, you can continue to get acquainted with it. Now we can move on to the meaning of the word "sinecure". This word is multi-valued. As you already learned from the previous section of the article, the first meaning, which is historical, is a church position that gives a good income, but is not associated with the need to be at the place of work of the person who received it.
The second meaning of the word "sinecure" is a position that gives a lot of income, but does not require much effort, physical or mental. This meaning is figurative and bookish.
The third meaning is also figurative, but it is also obsolete. So, a sinecure is a place or position in society that ensures a comfortable existence.
After reading this article, you learned the meaning of the word "sinecure".