An honorarium is a payment given for a service that is usually free or voluntarydone by choice, without being forced or required, or that is not chargedasked money for something provided or done at a normal commercialrelated to business, buying, and selling for profit rate.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-18. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /ˌɑnəˈrɛriəm/
Easy pronunciation: on-uh-RAIR-ee-um (approximate spelling).
Stress: Primary stress is on the third syllable, RAR.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-18. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Honorarium Meaning
a small payment given for work or a service that is normally unpaid or voluntary
Part of speech: noun
Definition: a fee paid for a nominally free service
Example: The speaker was given an honorarium for the lecture.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-18. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- People sometimes use honorarium to mean a regular salary, but it is not the same thing.
- It usually refers to a token payment or a special fee, not a standard professional charge.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-18. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does honorarium mean?
An honorarium is a payment given for a service that is usually free, voluntary, or only lightly compensated.
Is an honorarium the same as a salary?
No. A salary is regular pay for employment, while an honorarium is usually a one-time or special payment for a service.
What part of speech is honorarium?
Honorarium is a noun.
Can honorarium be plural?
Yes. The plural form is honorariums, though honoraria is also used in formal writing.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-18. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.