stipend
STY-pend
/ˈstaɪ.pend/
A fixed regular allowance or payment made to a student, intern, or researcher to defray living costs.
Not an hourly wage or profit-sharing salary; it is an allowance meant to offset basic living expenses during training.
The story behind the word. Formed from Latin 'stips' (a contribution or small coin) and 'pendere' (to weigh or pay out). In ancient Rome, 'stipendium' referred to the official pay weighed out to soldiers to cover their rations and expenses.
Word relationships
- allowance: 'Allowance' is broader and less formal, whereas 'stipend' specifically denotes professional or academic expense payments.
- wage: A wage varies based on exact hours worked, whereas a stipend is a fixed lump-sum living allowance.
Commonly confused with
- salary: Salaries are taxable earnings for direct employee labor; stipends are living allowances tied to learning or research.
Collocations
- monthly stipend
- living stipend
- stipend allowance
- receive a stipend
Example sentences
- "Graduate teaching assistants receive a monthly stipend alongside a full tuition waiver." Graduate Education
- "The research institute offered a modest stipend to cover transportation and meals for summer interns." Research Internships
Memory hook
A STIPEND keeps your STOMACH full while you study. Stipend pays living costs so you focus on learning.
When not to use
Do not use 'stipend' for standard corporate employee salaries or overtime compensation.
Fun facts
- Historically, clergy members received a 'stipend' from church revenues to cover basic living costs, a practice that established the academic usage modern universities follow.
Explore more words
scholarship, Endowment, compensate, Cost of living, subsidize, Stipulate
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.