remuneration

remuneration — noun

1. money and other forms of compensation that a person receives from their employer

1.nounB2
Definition

money and other forms of compensation that a person receives from their employer in exchange for the duties they carry out.

Example

The company offered Wei a generous remuneration package that included a company car.

collocation: remuneration package

All staff received their monthly remuneration on the final working day.

Common collocations
  • remuneration package
  • total remuneration
  • remuneration for
  • remuneration and benefits
  • remuneration committee
  • remuneration structure
Synonyms
  • compensation

    equally formal and broader; includes non-monetary benefits such as insurance and pension contributions

  • pay

    the everyday, neutral term for money received for work; less formal than remuneration

  • salary

    specifically a fixed regular payment, typically paid monthly to professional employees

  • wages

    payment calculated by the hour or week, common for manual or part-time roles

Grammar Patterns

receive + remuneration

offer + remuneration

remuneration + for + noun phrase

Usage Note

Frequently used in formal business, legal, and HR contexts. In everyday conversation, pay or salary is far more common than remuneration.

Common Mistakes

I received my remuneration from the cashier.
I received my pay from the cashier.
remuneration is too formal for everyday wage collection; use pay or wages instead.
The remuneration for this book is $15.
The price of this book is $15.
remuneration refers to payment for work or services, not the price of goods.

Word family

  • remunerate
    verbC1
  • remunerative
    adjectiveC1
  • remunerated
    adjectiveB2
  • unremunerated
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words refer to money received for work, but they differ in formality and scope. Remuneration is the most formal and broadest term, covering salary, bonuses, benefits, and any other payment for services — it is standard in corporate HR documents and legal contracts. Compensation is equally formal and covers both monetary payment and non-monetary benefits (insurance, stock options, pension); it is also used when referring to payment for loss or injury. Pay is the general, everyday word for money received from an employer and works in nearly any informal or neutral context. Salary refers to a fixed regular payment, typically expressed as an annual figure and paid monthly to professional staff. Wages are calculated by the hour or week and are most common for manual, retail, or part-time roles. A manager might say "We need to review our remuneration policy" before a board, but tell a colleague "I am happy with my pay" over lunch.

compensation ↗pay ↗salary ↗wages

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • remuneration and benefits
  • total remuneration
  • remuneration for work
  • remuneration package

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Remuneration comes from Latin 'remunerari' (to reward or recompense), formed from 're-' (back) and 'munerari' (to give, to present), which itself comes from 'munus' (a gift, service, or duty). The word entered English through French in the 1400s, originally referring to any reward or recompense. Its narrow modern meaning — payment for employment — became dominant in the 19th century as formal wage-and-contract structures spread.