What does stipendiary mean?
Stipendiary means relating to a fixed salary or allowance, and it also names a person who is paid in this way. The word is especially associated with clergy who received a stipend rather than the income of a benefice, a traditional arrangement in which a church position provided a fixed payment for the holder’s service. In broader institutional use, a stipendiary may be an employee or fellow who receives a regular payment rather than a proportion of earnings. Today the term is relatively uncommon and usually formal or historical, appearing in discussions of church organization, education, law, and public service. Its principal value is that it clearly distinguishes fixed remuneration for a person’s work from payment derived from property, fees, or commercial profit.
A person who receives a fixed stipend or salary, especially a clergyman serving without the income of a benefice.
"Each stipendiary was responsible for maintaining the church and serving the local congregation."
Most often used in formal, historical, legal, or religious contexts.
Relating to or consisting of a fixed stipend or salary.
"The charity offered a stipendiary appointment to an experienced adviser."
This use is formal and less common in everyday speech.
The plural is stipendiaries.
"The court ruled that the stipendiaries were entitled to payment for the full period."
Before many clergymen earned a salary from their church, they lived on a stipend—a fixed payment tied to their work.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does stipendiary come from?
The word comes through Latin from stipendiarius, meaning “a soldier receiving a stipend” or “one serving for a stated pay.” Stipendium itself referred to a soldier’s pay and came to mean a fixed allowance or salary. English adopted the related noun stipend in the 16th century and developed stipendiary later in the 17th century, initially for clergy and other persons paid a fixed sum rather than receiving the proceeds of an office or benefice.
Related word forms
How stipendiary is actually used
This is a formal and relatively uncommon word. It is most often encountered in historical, legal, religious, or institutional contexts, especially in the phrase stipendiary clergy.
Easily confused with stipendiary
A benefice is a property or income from which a clergyman is paid, whereas a stipendiary receives a fixed salary or stipend.
A stipend is the payment itself, while a stipendiary is the person who receives such a payment.