Pension: meaning, definitions and examples

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pension

[ ˈpɛnʃən ]

Noun

Oxford 3000

^{Context #1 | Noun}

retirement fund

A pension is a fixed amount of money paid regularly by the government or a former employer to a person who no longer works because of their age or a disability.

Synonyms

retirement pay, superannuation.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

Word	Description / Examples
pension	Used in common language to refer to the regular payments received after reaching retirement age or leaving a job due to disability. She lives comfortably on her pension. He plans to travel once he starts receiving his pension.
retirement pay	Typically used in a workplace or formal setting to refer specifically to the money received upon retiring. Often used in discussions about retirement benefits and financial planning. The company offers a generous retirement pay package. She is calculating her retirement pay to ensure she can maintain her lifestyle.
superannuation	Commonly used in Australian English to refer to a retirement fund or pension scheme that individuals pay into during their working life. Formal term often found in legal, financial, and organizational contexts. You should check your superannuation balance regularly. He has been contributing to his superannuation fund since he started his first job.

Word

Description / Examples

pension

Used in common language to refer to the regular payments received after reaching retirement age or leaving a job due to disability.

She lives comfortably on her pension.
He plans to travel once he starts receiving his pension.

retirement pay

Typically used in a workplace or formal setting to refer specifically to the money received upon retiring. Often used in discussions about retirement benefits and financial planning.

The company offers a generous retirement pay package.
She is calculating her retirement pay to ensure she can maintain her lifestyle.

superannuation

Commonly used in Australian English to refer to a retirement fund or pension scheme that individuals pay into during their working life. Formal term often found in legal, financial, and organizational contexts.

You should check your superannuation balance regularly.
He has been contributing to his superannuation fund since he started his first job.

Examples of usage

He receives a monthly pension from the government.
She has been living on her pension since retiring.

^{Context #2 | Noun}

accommodation

A pension is also a boarding house or small hotel in Europe.

Synonyms

boarding house, guesthouse.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

Word	Description / Examples
pension	Like the first entry, used in some languages, especially French and Italian, to describe a small, modest hotel or guesthouse offering meals and accommodation. It typically carries a more traditional and homely vibe. While touring Italy, we stayed in a pension that served delightful local dishes. The pension was located in a historic building, adding to our authentic travel experience.
boarding house	Refers to a house where lodgers rent one or more rooms for one or more nights, and sometimes for extended periods. Meals may be provided. It is usually more affordable and can have a long-term resident feel. After moving to the city for university, I found a room in a cozy boarding house close to campus. Many workers stayed in the boarding house during the construction project.
guesthouse	A private house offering accommodations, often run by the owners. It can range from luxury to budget-friendly and is commonly used in English-speaking countries. We booked a guesthouse for our vacation in the countryside to enjoy a quieter environment. The guesthouse had a beautiful garden and very welcoming hosts.

Word

Description / Examples

pension

Like the first entry, used in some languages, especially French and Italian, to describe a small, modest hotel or guesthouse offering meals and accommodation. It typically carries a more traditional and homely vibe.

While touring Italy, we stayed in a pension that served delightful local dishes.
The pension was located in a historic building, adding to our authentic travel experience.

boarding house

Refers to a house where lodgers rent one or more rooms for one or more nights, and sometimes for extended periods. Meals may be provided. It is usually more affordable and can have a long-term resident feel.

After moving to the city for university, I found a room in a cozy boarding house close to campus.
Many workers stayed in the boarding house during the construction project.

guesthouse

A private house offering accommodations, often run by the owners. It can range from luxury to budget-friendly and is commonly used in English-speaking countries.

We booked a guesthouse for our vacation in the countryside to enjoy a quieter environment.
The guesthouse had a beautiful garden and very welcoming hosts.

Examples of usage

They stayed at a cozy pension during their vacation in France.
The pension offered comfortable rooms and a delicious breakfast.

Translations

Translations of the word "pension" in other languages:

🇵🇹 pensão

🇮🇳 पेंशन

🇩🇪 Rente

🇮🇩 pensiun

🇺🇦 пенсія

🇵🇱 emerytura

🇯🇵 年金 (ねんきん)

🇫🇷 pension

🇪🇸 pensión

🇹🇷 emeklilik

🇰🇷 연금 (yeongeum)

🇸🇦 معاش

🇨🇿 důchod

🇸🇰 dôchodok

🇨🇳 退休金 (tuìxiū jīn)

🇸🇮 pokojnina

🇮🇸 lífeyrir

🇰🇿 зейнетақы

🇬🇪 პენსია

🇦🇿 pensiya

🇲🇽 pensión

Etymology

The word 'pension' originated from the Latin word 'pensio', which means payment or rent. The concept of pensions dates back to ancient Rome, where soldiers received pensions after their years of service. Over time, the idea of pensions evolved to include retirement funds provided by governments or employers. Today, pensions play a crucial role in ensuring financial security for retirees.

Word Frequency Rank

At position #2,720, this word belongs to solid intermediate vocabulary. It's frequently used in both casual and formal contexts and is worth learning for better fluency.

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2717 admission
2718 surplus
2719 worthy
2720 pension
2721 trend
2722 commitment
2723 managers
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