perquisite

(pûr'kwĭ-zĭt)
n.

1. A payment or profit received in addition to a regular wage or salary, especially a benefit expected as one's due. See synonyms at right.
2. A tip; a gratuity.
3. Something claimed as an exclusive right: "Politics was the perquisite of the upper class" (Richard B. Sewall).

[From Middle English perquisites, property acquired otherwise than by inheritance, from Medieval Latin perquīsītum, acquisition, from Latin, neuter past participle of perquīrere, to search diligently for : per-, per- + quaerere, to seek.]

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A perquisite is an incidental benefit attached to a person's job or employment, and is more often used in the shortened form perk. A prerequisite is something required as a condition before something else can be done:

Sponsorship is not a prerequisite for any of our courses but we are happy for students to arrange sponsorship if they wish to do so—university prospectus, 1993.

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Any of a number of privileges granted to employees in addition to basic wages and salaries.
Perks may include ordinary employee benefits, fringe such as health insurance and pensions, but the term is more often used to apply to executive perks such as automobiles and limos, resort vacations, club memberships, special washroom and dining facilities, reserved parking spaces, and use of corporate aircraft and other equipment.

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noun

1. A material favor or gift, usually money, given in return for service: cumshaw, gratuity, largess, tip³. See give/take/reciprocity, transactions.
2. A privilege granted a person, as by virtue of birth: appanage, birthright, prerogative, right. Law droit. See owned/unowned.

This entry contains information applicable to United States law only.

Fringe benefits or other incidental profits or benefits accompanying an office or position.

The abbreviation perks is used in reference to extraordinary benefits afforded to business executives, such as country club memberships or the free use of automobiles.

For a list of words related to perquisite, see:

• Corporations and Business Practices - perquisite: nonmonetary benefit for employee, such as free trip or company car; perk
• Intrigues, Plots, and Corruption - perquisite: bonus or fringe benefit in excess of regular salary

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See words rhyming with "perquisite."

  See crossword solutions for the clue Perquisite.

Dansk (Danish)
n. - biindtægt, privilegium

Nederlands (Dutch)
extra verdienste, gebruikelijk privilege, gebruikt artikel dat naar ondergeschikte gaat, uitsluitend bezit/recht

Français (French)
n. - avantage

Deutsch (German)
n. - Vergünstigung, Nebenleistung

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - επιμίσθιο, έκτακτη χορήγηση ή παροχή (κν. τυχερό), πρόσθετο όφελος, ειδικό προνόμιο

Italiano (Italian)
indennità accessoria, prerogativa, gratifica, competenza

Português (Portuguese)
n. - gratificação (f), direito a gratificação (m)

Русский (Russian)
дополнительная льгота, бонус

Español (Spanish)
n. - gratificación, propina, ganancia extra

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - extra förmån, drickspengar, uteslutande förmån

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
额外补贴, 临时津贴

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 額外補貼, 臨時津貼

한국어 (Korean)
n. - (직무에서 생기는) 임시 수입 , (합법적인) 부수입, (습관적인) 팁

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 臨時収入, 役得

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) علاوة وإضافه فوق الراتب‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮הטבה, הכנסה צדדית‬

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