Definitions
01fixed payment for work
A2 · Elementary Countable noun
n. a fixed amount of money that you earn each month or year for your work.
n. a fixed periodic payment, typically paid monthly or annually, made by an employer to an employee for professional or office work.
“She was happy to accept the job because the annual salary was very high.”
“The company offered a competitive starting salary along with a comprehensive benefits package to attract top-tier graduates.”
Usage
Usually a countable noun; often used with the verbs 'earn', 'pay', or 'negotiate'.
Pitfall
He earns a high wage as a lawyer.
He earns a high salary as a lawyer.
Use 'salary' for professional or office jobs paid monthly/yearly; use 'wage' for manual or service jobs paid by the hour.
Synonyms
02to pay a fixed amount
C1 · Advanced Formal
v. to pay someone a fixed monthly or yearly amount instead of paying them by the hour.
v. to compensate an employee via a fixed periodic payment rather than hourly wages.
“The manager decided to salary the new staff members instead of paying them hourly.”
“The firm chose to salary its consultants to ensure a predictable overhead, moving away from the previous commission-based structure.”
Usage
Often used in the passive voice or as a past participle adjective (e.g., 'a salaried employee').
Synonyms
Confusables
Salary is a fixed annual amount paid monthly, whereas a wage is calculated by the hours worked or tasks completed.
RememberSalary is stable; wages vary.
Etymology
Middle English salarie was carried across by the Normans from Old French salaire, itself a borrowing of Latin salārium. The Latin word is the exact neuter of the adalt adjective salārius ("to do with salt"), built from sal ("salt"). The form already had the sense "wages"; none of the ancient authors bothered to mention why.
Because salārium argentum is not recorded, scholarly opinion has preferred a clipped form salārium for the payroll: either "salt-money" paid to Roman troops, or "money earmarked for salt". No period document confirms soldiers being handed blocks of salt; no ledger survives listing salt among wages. The leap from condiment to coin happened before documentary habit began, and English simply took the Normans' word for it.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A2 KeyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.3.0–4.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 2.0–2.524–43TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.225–549
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- A2 · ElementaryOxford
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/salary
「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0