Etymology

sinecure

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Today it means: A position that requires little to no work, or easy work, but still gives an ample payment; a cushy job. Full definition →

Ecclesiastical Latin sine cūrā ← Medieval Latin sine
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The story

  1. Medieval Latin · derived fromsine“without”
  2. Ecclesiastical Latin · borrowed fromsine cūrā
  3. English todaysinecure

From Ecclesiastical Latin sine cūrā (literally “without care”), ellipsis of beneficium sine cūrā (“benefice without cure [of souls, i.e. the office of a curate]”), formed from Medieval Latin sine (“without”) + cūrā (“care, charge, cure”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.