What does emolument mean?
An emolument is the compensation a person receives for holding a job or public office — a salary, fee, or profit earned through service. The word is formal and appears most often in legal, political, and historical writing rather than casual conversation. In the United States it is especially familiar from the Constitution's 'Emoluments Clause', which restricts federal officials from accepting gifts or payments from foreign governments, a provision that has drawn renewed public attention in recent years. Emolument usually appears in its plural form, as in 'the emoluments of office', to describe the total package of pay and perks attached to a position. Its tone is neutral and official rather than colloquial; where ordinary speech would say 'salary' or 'pay', emolument lends a register of law and governance. For anyone reading constitutions, contracts of high office, or political commentary, it is an indispensable term for describing compensation in formal contexts.
nounA salary, fee, or profit from employment or office; compensation received for work or services rendered.
- Compensation for employment or services, especially a salary, fee, or perquisite attached to a position or office.
"The constitution bars the president from accepting any emolument from a foreign state without congressional consent."
"Judges in most countries are forbidden from taking any additional emoluments beyond their official salaries."
"His emoluments as chairman included not just a generous stipend but housing and a car."
The plural is actually the more common form in practice, typically referring collectively to all the payments and benefits attached to a position.
"The emoluments of the post include a pension and official residence."
The same Latin root that gave us 'emolument' also gave us 'mollify' — because in ancient Rome, your pay was literally what 'softened' the grind of working.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of emolument
Emolument comes from the Latin 'emolumentum', meaning profit or gain, derived from 'emoliri', 'to bring out by effort', built on 'molere', 'to grind'. The underlying image is that of grain ground out at a mill — the yield produced by one's labor. It entered English in the late 15th century, and shares its root with words like 'mollify' and 'emollient', which preserve the sense of softening.
How emolument is actually used
Formal and somewhat old-fashioned in everyday use, though it remains standard legal and constitutional vocabulary. It typically appears in plural form ('emoluments') when referring to the combined benefits of a post, and carries no negative connotation — it is neutral, official-sounding language for pay and perks.
Easily confused with emolument
An emollient is a substance that softens or soothes skin, whereas an emolument is payment for services or office.