pension

1 of 2

noun

pen·​sion ˈpen(t)-shən How to pronounce pension (audio)
1
ˈpen(t)-shən How to pronounce pension (audio) : a fixed sum paid regularly to a person:
a
archaic : wage
b
: a gratuity granted (as by a government) as a favor or reward
c
: one paid under given conditions to a person following retirement from service or to surviving dependents
2
\ päⁿ-​ˈsyōⁿ How to pronounce pension (audio) \ [French, from Middle French]
a
: accommodations especially at a continental European hotel or boardinghouse : room and board
b
or less commonly pensione [pensione, from Italian] : a hotel or boardinghouse especially in continental Europe
pensionless adjective

pension

2 of 2

verb

pensioned; pensioning ˈpen(t)-sh(ə-)niŋ How to pronounce pension (audio)

transitive verb

1
: to grant or pay a pension to
2
: to dismiss or retire from service with a pension
pensioned off his faithful old servant

Examples of pension in a Sentence

Noun Her pension arrives in the mail every month. retired people living on their pensions
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
That leaves the average monthly state pension, 1,528 pesos, worth less than $5. Inflation and an ever-rising cost of foreign currencies have left most of the population living on poverty wages. Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 1 Mar. 2024 Add to the mix concerns about Social Security being drained by boomers and the waning offering of pensions, and Gen Xers are feeling bleak about their chances of retiring. Chloe Berger, Fortune, 27 Feb. 2024 The administration has showered union workers with subsidies, tax credits, pension bailouts, apprenticeship funds and more. Jeff Stein, Washington Post, 26 Feb. 2024 While the jobs come with benefits, such as healthcare and a pension, and the wages are good — with the lowest salary starting at around $65,000 a year — these positions require years of specialized training that can be hard to come by, said Elizabeth Toups, a senior manager for the organization. Calmatters, The Mercury News, 16 Feb. 2024 The state’s annual pension contributions would increase when other state debts are paid off. Shruti Singh, Bloomberg.com, 21 Feb. 2024 The chronically low birthrates have sparked concerns about aging populations — and the health care and pension costs that come with them — and the resulting increase in the welfare burden. Min Joo Kim, Washington Post, 16 Feb. 2024 Well, the obvious answer is that Britain’s pension industry is the biggest in Europe with assets under management coming in at £2.5 trillion, so a 5.0% allocation to fast-growth tech companies in, say, the climate or life sciences sectors could, in theory, be game changing. Trevor Clawson, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024 Staffing increases and pay raises will produce even larger pension obligations in years to come. Joe Mathews, The Mercury News, 16 Feb. 2024
Verb
How much will pension payments drop in 2023? Phoebe Wall Howard, USA TODAY, 8 Dec. 2022 The plans kick in on Nov. 1 and apply to eligible state and local law enforcement, firefighters, emergency response personnel, pensioned retirees, as well as parents, children, or spouses of first responders killed in the line of duty. Edward C. Baig, USA TODAY, 28 Oct. 2019 Nor can pension reform ever solve the deep inequality that lies behind the anger. The Economist, 8 June 2019 The Imperial Beach City Council recently approved a new two-year contract with firefighters that includes 5 percent pay raises, as well as adjustments to time off and pension contributions. David Hernandez, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Aug. 2019 So could pension funds, which need returns of 7-8% to keep their promises to future pensioners, and have around 10% of their money stored in such investments, less than sovereign-wealth funds (15%) or endowments (25%). The Economist, 29 June 2019 Probably to help the dangerous situation in the northwest, a local aristocrat, Sir William Brereton managed to have the Abbot’s death sentence cancelled and he and his canons were pensioned off with the closure of Norton Abbey. James Rogers, Fox News, 2 May 2018 The elderly could be pensioned off, the young dispatched to college and those who had jobs sent back to work. The Economist, 28 Mar. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pension.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin pension-, pensio, from pendere to pay — more at pendant

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pension was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near pension

Cite this Entry

“Pension.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pension. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

pension

1 of 2 noun
pen·​sion ˈpen-chən How to pronounce pension (audio)
: a sum paid regularly to a person especially following retirement or to surviving dependents

pension

2 of 2 verb
pensioned; pensioning ˈpench-(ə-)niŋ How to pronounce pension (audio)
: to pay a pension to

Legal Definition

pension

noun
pen·​sion
: money paid under given conditions to a person following retirement or to surviving dependents see also defined benefit plan, defined contribution plan
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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