# golden handshake

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/golden-handshake
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A generous severance payment, especially as an inducement to leave employment.

## Examples

- The manager left with a large golden handshake.
- After thirty years of service, the company gave the executive a generous golden handshake to encourage his early retirement.
- The board of directors approved a substantial golden handshake for the departing CEO, a move that sparked significant controversy among the company's shareholders.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.