pension

[ pen-shuhn; French pahn-syawn ]

noun

, plural pen·sions [pen, -sh, uh, nz, pah, n, -, syawn].

1. a fixed amount, other than wages, paid at regular intervals to a person or to the person's surviving dependents in consideration of past services, age, merit, poverty, injury or loss sustained, etc.:

   a retirement pension.

2. an allowance, annuity, or subsidy.
3. (in France and elsewhere in continental Europe)
   1. a boardinghouse or small hotel.
   2. room and board.

verb (used with object)

1. to grant or pay a pension to.
2. to cause to retire on a pension (usually followed by off ).

pension

¹

/ pɑ̃sjɔ̃ /

noun

1. a relatively cheap boarding house
2. another name for full board

pension

²

/ ˈpɛnʃən /

noun

1. a regular payment made by the state to people over a certain age to enable them to subsist without having to work
2. a regular payment made by an employer to former employees after they retire
3. a regular payment made to a retired person as the result of his or her contributions to a personal pension scheme
4. any regular payment made on charitable grounds, by way of patronage, or in recognition of merit, service, etc

   a pension paid to a disabled soldier

verb

1. tr to grant a pension to

pension

1. Payments made to a retired person either by the government or by a former employer.

Derived Forms

• ˈpensionable, adjective
• ˈpensionless, adjective

Other Words From

• pension·a·ble adjective
• pension·a·bly adverb
• pension·less adjective
• non·pension·a·ble adjective
• un·pension·a·ble adjective
• un·pensioned adjective
• un·pension·ing adjective
• well-pensioned adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of pension¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, from Old French pensïon, from Latin pēnsiōn-, stem of pēnsiō “measured weight,” hence, “payment, rent,” from pēns(us) “weighed” (past participle of pendere “to hang, weigh out, pay by weight”) + -iō -ion

Word History and Origins

Origin of pension¹

C17: French; extended meaning of pension grant; see pension ¹

Origin of pension²

C14: via Old French from Latin pēnsiō a payment, from pendere to pay

Example Sentences

She wants council pension pots to be merged so they can make bigger investments to generate higher returns, a move criticised as risky by some.

From BBC

Mr Bailey will also echo Reeves' concern that the UK pension system is "fragmented" and requires "heavy lifting" to fix it.

From BBC

Mr Bailey's Mansion House address will come alongside a speech by Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who will talk about her plans to shake up the UK pension system in a bid for growth.

From BBC

That is different to private pension pots, which rise and fall in value depending on how investments perform.

From BBC

While UK pension schemes tend to invest more in assets like equities and bonds, their Canadian rivals focus more on private markets.

From BBC

Related Words

• allowance
• annuity
• grant
• payment
• premium
• retirement account
• reward
• social security
• subsidy