Sinecure

“Sinecure” comes from the Latin phrase beneficium sine cura which is an archaic designation for a person holding a title within a church, and paid under that title, but without any actual duties. In some governments, sinecures are intentionally filled as patronage or to allow a designate to hold multiple offices while only fulfilling the duties of one.

For the rest of us not applying for the job of Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead or Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, a sinecure can be any job or position in which one is paid a salary but which there is little actual responsibility.

As an amateur artist and musician myself, a sinecure represents the ultimate goal in financial sustainability. But sinecures are rarely positions one can seek with intention. It’s something one falls into by chance. For example, one might apply to an office job that turns out to have little actual responsibility, and one can then repurpose his time to work on his own projects while drawing a salary for his stated meaningless title.

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