Words / C2

SIN-ik-y-oor/ˈsɪnɪkjʊə/

A sinecure is a paid post with little or no real work (formal / often disapproving): a comfortable sinecure, treat the role as a sinecure. Easy job is everyday; a titular post (this batch) has the title without the power — a cousin, not a synonym. Notional (already in the dictionary) is on paper only. Do not staff a night clinic with a sinecure and call it cover.

Meaning

A paid post that requires little or no real work (formal / often disapproving).

Examples

• “A sinecure on the organogram did not staff the night clinic.”
• “Easy job is everyday. Titular is in name only (this batch). Notional is hypothetical (already in C2). A light portfolio with a named deputy can still be honest. A salary with no night presence is how the rota fails. Pay for the hours that exist.”

Good to know

A paid job with almost no work. Everyday: easy job. Close: titular (title without power — this batch). Contrast: notional (on paper — already in C2). A box on the chart is not cover.

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