pecuniary

adjective

pe·​cu·​ni·​ary pi-ˈkyü-nē-ˌer-ē 

1

: consisting of or measured in money

pecuniary aid

pecuniary gifts

2

: of or relating to money

pecuniary needs

pecuniary rewards

pecuniarily

pi-ˌkyü-nē-ˈer-ə-lē 

adverb

Did you know?

Pecuniary first appeared in English in the early 16th century and comes from the Latin word pecunia, which means "money." Both this root and Latin peculium, which means "private property," are related to the Latin noun for cattle, pecus. Among Latin speakers (as among many other populations, past and present) cattle were viewed as a trading commodity, and property was often valued in terms of cattle. Pecunia has also given us impecunious, a word meaning "having little or no money," while peculium gave us peculate, a synonym for embezzle. In peculium you might also recognize the word peculiar, which originally meant "characteristic of only one" or "distinctive" before acquiring its current meaning of "strange."

Synonyms

• dollars-and-cents
• financial
• fiscal
• monetary
• pocket

Examples of pecuniary in a Sentence

that makes good pecuniary sense

the judge recused himself from the case because he had a pecuniary interest in the company that was being sued

Recent Examples on the Web

If Thomas, a notorious enforcer on the field, chooses to enforce his FCRA and/or EFTA rights against those institutions in civil court, those banks may end up suffering the pecuniary loss. —Adam Singer, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023

Creating a professional and social consensus: When innovations further the goals of health and healing, rather than pecuniary interests, professional and social norms can help overcome incentive problems. —James B. Rebitzer, STAT, 21 Aug. 2023

Leaders of African countries must also forsake pecuniary self-interest for that of the greater good. —Jack A. Goldstone, Foreign Affairs, 18 May 2023

This is a cautionary tale of how unscrupulous authoritarian populists, drunk on ideology but driven primarily by the lust for power and its pecuniary rewards, can catastrophically ruin an economy and shred the social fabric of a country. —William Neuman, Foreign Affairs, 19 Apr. 2022

Word History

Etymology

Latin pecuniarius, from pecunia money — more at fee

First Known Use

1506, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

pecuniary

adjective

pe·​cu·​ni·​ary pi-ˈkyü-nē-ˌer-ē 

: of, relating to, or consisting of money

Legal Definition

pecuniary

adjective

pe·​cu·​ni·​ary pi-ˈkyü-nē-ˌer-ē 

: consisting of, measured in, or relating to money

pecuniary damages