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

There has been a fringe benefit to Dunk’s time off. —Andy Naylor, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2026

Rising Medicaid and fringe benefit costs and smaller-than-anticipated corporation tax receipts led Comptroller Sean Scanlon last week to project a $6 million operating deficit for this fiscal year. —Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 9 Apr. 2026

One fringe benefit of speaking—or slowly but surely learning—Korean? —Emma Specter, Vogue, 3 Apr. 2026

That number doesn’t include fringe benefits. —Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026

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