fringe benefit

noun

1

: an employment benefit (such as a pension or a paid holiday) granted by an employer that has a monetary value but does not affect basic wage rates

2

: any additional benefit

increased energy is a fringe benefit of regular exercise

Examples of fringe benefit in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The county is expecting a general fund shortfall of $102.6 million, thanks mostly to higher wages and fringe benefits when its current contracts with union employees expire. —A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 18 June 2025

Childcare, wellness or tech stipends—These fringe benefits are increasingly negotiable. —Cheryl Robinson, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025

But the new deal also strips out some of the fringe benefits seen in his and his predecessor’s prior contracts. —Garrett Shanley, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 June 2025

But now, in the Trump White House, one member of the administration may be getting a whole new sort of fringe benefit — her own reality show. —Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 21 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1948, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

fringe benefit

noun

: a benefit (as vacation, health insurance, or pension plan) given by an employer to employees in addition to pay

Legal Definition

fringe benefit

noun

: an employment benefit (as a pension, a paid holiday, or health insurance) granted by an employer that has a monetary value but that does not affect basic wage rates