What does remunerated mean?
Remunerated means paid or compensated for work. It is especially common in formal descriptions of jobs, employment, professional services, and voluntary or contract work: a remunerated position is one that provides financial compensation, while remunerated work has been paid for. The adjective is often used when the context requires clarity about compensation, such as distinguishing remunerated employment from unpaid volunteering, consulting, or training. Although it can sound formal or bureaucratic, it simply identifies work that is financially rewarded. The related word remunerative is more often used to describe the rewarding nature of a job or activity, while remuneration refers to the payment itself. Remunerated is the past participle of remunerate and can therefore also appear in formal written and spoken contexts as part of a passive construction.
Receiving payment or compensation for work or services performed.
"The hospital employs remunerated staff to provide emergency care."
Formal; especially common in descriptions of employment and professional work.
Past participle of remunerate, meaning to pay or compensate someone for work or services.
"The participants were remunerated for their contributions to the study."
Usually used in the passive construction, with the person receiving payment as the subject.
When a job is remunerated, it is not merely praised—it is paid.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does remunerated come from?
The word comes through English from Latin roots associated with remuneration and remunerate, ultimately meaning to reward or compensate. The Latin verb remunerari was formed with elements meaning “again” and “money,” referring to payment or repayment. English developed remunerate, remuneration, and remunerative from this source, and remunerated is the past participle and adjective form of remunerate.
Related word forms
How remunerated is actually used
The term is formal and is especially common in employment, legal, and institutional contexts. It is more specific than simply saying that someone is paid and is sometimes used to emphasize that compensation is involved.
Easily confused with remunerated
Remunerated describes someone or something that has been paid, while remunerative describes a job or activity because of its potential to provide financial reward.