perquisite

noun

per·​qui·​site ˈpər-kwə-zət 

1

: a privilege, gain, or profit incidental to regular salary or wages

especially : one expected or promised

2

: gratuity, tip

3

: something held or claimed as an exclusive right or possession

Did you know?

Looking to acquire a job loaded with perquisites, or perks (a synonym of perquisites)? Don’t give up the search! Make plenty of inquiries, send out an exquisitely crafted résumé, follow up with queries, and be sure to meet most of the prerequisites of the job description. Your quest may result in your conquering of the job market. After all, perquisite comes from the Latin word perquirere, which, in turn, is from the prefix per-, meaning “thoroughly” and the verb quaerere, meaning “to ask” or “to seek.” It’s not surprising that several other words in this paragraph come from quaerere as well—acquire, inquiries, exquisitely, queries, conquering, quest, and, of course, perk, which was formed by shortening and altering perquisite. Quaerere is also an ancestor of prerequisite, so we don’t blame you if you mix up perquisite and prerequisite. You can tell the difference by remembering that a prerequisite can be a requirement needed before getting a job (pre- means “before”), while a perquisite is something extra you get after you’ve been hired.

Synonyms

• gratuity
• tip

Examples of perquisite in a Sentence

Use of the company's jet is a perquisite of the job.

give the movers a perquisite if they do a good job

Recent Examples on the Web

In a review of CEO perks between 2020 and 2023, advisory firm ISS-Corporate found that home security perquisites for CEOs of S&P 500 companies rose from 12.6% in 2020, to 15.7% in 2023. —Brooke Seipel, Fortune, 4 Dec. 2024

Impact: This may accelerate the trend toward more paternalistic organizational models, where companies take on greater responsibility for employee wellbeing beyond traditional employment benefits and perquisites. —Solange Charas, Forbes, 24 Nov. 2024

His 2023 compensation was valued at $12.2 million, including yearly salary, cash bonus, stock, and perquisites. —Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 13 July 2024

The air travel is part of what are known as perquisites, or perks granted the executives, which also include ground transportation, lodging and meals during personal travel. —Chris Isidore, CNN, 11 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, property acquired by means other than inheritance, from Anglo-French perquisit, Medieval Latin perquisitum, from neuter of perquisitus, past participle of perquirere to purchase, acquire, from Latin, to search for thoroughly, from per- thoroughly + quaerere to seek

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

perquisite

noun

per·​qui·​site ˈpər-kwə-zət 

1

: a privilege or profit made in addition to regular pay

2

: tip entry 10