WordGarden.iostipendiary
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /stˈaɪpndjəri/
US
- /staɪˈpɛndiˌɛri/not-comparableadjective
Meanings
Adjective
receiving a stipend or salary for a role; paid
Noun
a person who receives a stipend, especially a paid clergy member or official
Beyond the definition
A stipendiary person receives regular pay for a role or service, usually in a formal or official setting. The word often appears in titles such as "stipendiary magistrate," where it marks the difference between a paid professional and someone serving without pay. Think of it as someone being paid steadily for a role that carries duty or responsibility, especially when similar work might also be done by volunteers. It's not just about being paid; it suggests an arranged, ongoing payment for a recognized position.
The word has long been used for official or institutional positions. A stipendiary lecturer at a university might be hired for a term and paid regularly rather than by the hour or by each lecture. In the same way, a stipendiary chaplain receives regular pay from a hospital, prison, or similar institution to provide spiritual care. It is a formal, slightly old-fashioned term. You would not normally use it for an ordinary hourly job, but it fits well when the role is tied to an institution and paid by stipend or salary.
The word stipendiary describes someone who receives a stipend or other regular payment for work or service, especially in a role with official, institutional, or public responsibilities. It is more specific than simply saying "paid." It usually suggests a formal arrangement in which money is attached to the position itself, not just to separate tasks or one-off services. Very often, the word helps distinguish a paid office-holder or worker from a volunteer.
Historically, the term comes from the Latin stipendium, meaning pay or allowance. In modern English, you are most likely to meet it in law, education, and religious life. For example, a "stipendiary magistrate" is a magistrate who is paid for the role, unlike lay magistrates, who traditionally serve without salary. In the same broad sense, the word can describe other paid office-holders whose work is recognized and supported by an institution.
You might also encounter "stipendiary lecturers" at universities, meaning academics engaged for a period of teaching with regular pay, or a "stipendiary minister" or "stipendiary chaplain," meaning a member of the clergy who receives a stipend from a church body or institution. In these cases, the word points not only to payment, but also to the formal nature of the appointment.
The word is not common in everyday talk about ordinary jobs. You would not usually call a software developer or shop assistant stipendiary. It sounds formal and is mostly used where the fact of receiving a stipend matters to the meaning. In that way, it carries a sense of official duty, recognized service, and institutional support, rather than just the simple fact of earning money.
Examples
- 1
Academic fellowship
The college offers a stipendiary fellowship, so early-career researchers can focus on their work for a year.
- 2
Church role
The parish was looking for a stipendiary curate to support the vicar full time.
- Usage
common in church contexts
- 3
Legal role
In the nineteenth century, minor cases were often heard by a stipendiary magistrate rather than by local volunteers.
- Domainstipendiary magistrate
a salaried judge for less serious cases
See also
Similar
Shades of meaning
Contrast
Used with (collocations)
- stipendiary magistrate
- stipendiary clergy
- stipendiary post
Word family
- stipend
- non-stipendiary
Explore
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- stipendiarynounadjective