Pecuniary

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(pronounced pih-kyoo-nee-er-ee; "oo" pronounced as in "boot" and not as in "book")  adjective

Definition

1. of, or relating to, or consisting of money. 2. demanded or obtained in the form of money. 3. (with reference to a violation or offense) involving a money penalty or fine.

Main Example

• The next time you see a full moon, pause for a moment and offer a solemn prayer of thanks. Had it not been for a "supermoon" on the night of March 28/29, which resulted in an unusually high tide--almost 18" higher than normal, the giant container ship Ever Given might have remained stuck in the Suez Canal for several more days, if not weeks. (The other option that was being considered--unloading a large number of the nearly 20,000 containers aboard the vessel to lighten it--could have taken an eternity!) The Suez Canal is the preferred route for over 12% of global maritime trade. So, a protracted blockage in the waterway would have resulted in higher prices on a wide range of goods and thus had a pecuniary effect on consumers in both Europe and North America.

Workplace Examples

• Both of my employees are having big-time problems at home. But unlike Joel, who is deep in debt because of his child's medical bills, Kathy's troubles are not of a pecuniary kind. She is having difficulties managing her teenager who has just dropped out of high school.
• I've decided to take a leave of absence and study full-time for a two-year MBA. Sure, it'll be a big financial hit, but I feel the sum total of the pecuniary and non-pecuniary returns will be worth the investment.

Other Examples

• this author saying in a speech: "Some of the talking heads who constantly engage in inflammatory statements do so simply to help enlarge their audience and not because they sincerely believe that their hateful comments will help resolve any of the controversial issues facing our nation. In other words, some of the venom being spouted on radio and television arises from talk show hosts' pecuniary motives. It's that simple."
• speaking about an outside consultant, one manager saying to a colleague: "I sure hope this contract is awarded to Ben, and I say this not because I have a pecuniary interest in it--after all, he's not going to give me a cut or anything--but because I firmly believe his expertise will benefit us the most."
• during a meeting, an employee saying: "I propose that, henceforth, whenever somebody turns in a good suggestion to make our factory safer, after their suggestion is implemented they should not only get the customary certificate and pat on the back from the VP, but they should also get a pecuniary reward--say, a $100 gift certificate or something like that."
• a judge reprimanding a lawyer for "putting his pecuniary interests above those of his client and thus compromising his ethical obligations"
• discussing her new novel which is about three poets, author Lan Samantha Chang telling NPR's Scott Simon that she finds poets to be "dramatically more interesting to write about than fiction writers" because their pursuit does not arise out of a pecuniary goal--"they go into their art knowing that they will never be able to make a living at it"

© 2021 V.J. Singal
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