pension
Pension (noun) means a regular payment made to someone after they retire, based on their years of work. Example: “She retired at 65 and now lives on her pension.”
How to Use Pension
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishMoney paid regularly to a retired worker, or (in Europe) a small guesthouse.
The "guesthouse" sense is common in French/German/Italian tourism but rarely used this way in American English.
Word Forms
pensioned past tense, pensions plural, pensions plural, pensions singular
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
She retired at 65 and now lives on her _____.
Etymology
From Latin pēnsiō ("payment, rent"), from pendō ("to weigh, pay").
Synonyms
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Rhymes for pension
See all rhymes for pension →Frequently Asked Questions
What does “pension” mean?
The word “pension” means a regular payment made to someone after they retire, based on their years of work. In plain terms, money paid regularly to a retired worker, or (in Europe) a small guesthouse.
How do you pronounce “pension”?
“Pension” is pronounced PEHNSHN (/ˈpɛnʃən/ in IPA).
How do you use “pension” in a sentence?
Here is “pension” used in a sentence: “She retired at 65 and now lives on her pension.”
What is another word for “pension”?
Words with a similar meaning to “pension” include rent, hotel, hostel, bed and breakfast and lodging place.
What part of speech is “pension”?
Depending on how it is used, “pension” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “pension” come from?
The word “pension” comes from Latin. From Latin pēnsiō ("payment, rent"), from pendō ("to weigh, pay").
Is “pension” a common word?
“Pension” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.
How many meanings does “pension” have?
“Pension” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a regular payment made to someone after they retire, based on their years of work.
What is the difference between a pension and a salary?
A salary is the regular pay you receive while you are still working, whereas a pension is a regular payment made to you after you retire, based on your years of work.
Is 'pension' a verb as well as a noun?
Yes. As a verb, to pension someone means to pay them a pension, and the phrasal form 'pension off' means to send someone into retirement with a pension.
Does 'pension' also mean a guesthouse?
Yes. In several European countries, a pension is also a small hotel or boarding house that provides lodging, and often meals. In everyday English, however, the retirement-payment meaning is by far the most common.