Meaning & use
remunerative
Last updated
UK/rɪˈmjuːnərətɪv/
US/rɪˈmjunərətɪv/
Meaning
adjectivecomparableformalapproving
Bringing in a good income or reward for the work involved.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after be: a remunerative job, the work is remunerative.
Patterns
- a remunerative career
- highly remunerative
Law is a remunerative career in this city.
She left teaching for a more remunerative job.
Selling the software proved remunerative.
Word forms
| comparative | more remunerative |
|---|---|
| superlative | most remunerative |
Common combinations
- highly remunerative
- The deal proved highly remunerative.
- remunerative career
- He chose a remunerative career in finance.
- remunerative work
- Remunerative work was hard to find.
- remunerative contract
- The firm won a remunerative contract.
- remunerative business
- The shop was a remunerative business.
Synonyms and how they differ
- lucrative
- Lucrative is the more common word and stresses large profit, while remunerative is a little more formal and stresses fair pay.
- profitable
- Profitable is general and fits businesses and ideas, whereas remunerative focuses on payment for work.
- well-paid
- Well-paid is plain and conversational and describes a job, while remunerative also fits ventures.
- rewarding
- Rewarding often means satisfying in a personal sense, while remunerative means financially worthwhile.
Opposites
unprofitablepoorly paid
Word family
- remunerate verb
- to pay someone for work
- remuneration noun
- payment for work or services
- remuneratively adverb
- in a way that pays well
- unremunerative adjective
- not paying well
Commonly confused: remunerative or remunerate?
remunerative vs remunerate
Remunerate is a verb meaning to pay, while remunerative is the adjective meaning well paid.
Practice
She turned down the interesting but poorly paid role and took a more ___ position.
Choose one answer.
Remunerative means paying well, which contrasts with poorly paid. The other adjectives do not describe a job's pay.
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