sinecure 英 [ˈsɪnɪkjʊə(r)] 美 [ˈsaɪnɪkjʊr]
SAT GRE

外刊例句

Many had left academic or government sinecures to start their own businesses.
很多人放弃学术机构或政府部门的闲职开创自己的企业。
——《经济学人》
Precedents exist in Argentina for offering state support of writers, including subsidies at the provincial level, and a select few have been given sinecures.
阿根廷以前也有过为作家提供政府补助，包括省级补助在内的先例，个别经过筛选的受益者还有挂名职务。

基本释义

[noun] a job that you are paid for even though it involves little or no work
[名词] 闲职，挂名职位

深入解读

sinecure是一个拉丁借用词。在拉丁文中sine意为without（没有），cura意为care（关心，照管），短语sine cura则是without care（不费心的，不操心的）的意思。英语把这个短语合为一词 sinecure，早先用以指教会中不担任教化工作但却领取干薪的牧师职位，现在则泛指工作清闲而报酬优厚的职位，即“闲职”或“挂名差事”。

英语另有几个单词也源出拉丁语cura：
curator
a person who takes “care” of a museum or library
博物馆或图书馆馆长
curate
a person who takes “care” of souls
助理牧师
cure
bring health to somebody by taking “care” of him
治愈

同近义词

doddle: a task or an activity that is very easy
cinch: something that is very easy
gravy train: a situation where people seem to be making a lot of money without much effort