13

I want to describe: a job-position that is given to someone as a way to appease the person, but the position holds no real function.

Context:

He was, due to his importance to the secret project, offered an honorary ____ with disproportionally lucrative payment.

The job is given by the authority to the person as a way to basically bribe him with undeserved salary, because he won't be given any real task. The emphasis here is payment, and not power, so "figurehead" would be inappropriate.

Improve this question
5
  • 4
    Don't the terms 'honorary' and 'disproportionately lucrative' already convey the idea, even if the blank is filled with something like job or position? Aren't you really seeking a word that would convey this idea by itself, without such qualifications?
    – jsw29
    Commented Oct 14, 2018 at 5:34
  • 1
    There are many references on this site to sinecure
    – WS2
    Commented Oct 14, 2018 at 7:43
  • I agree with @jsw29 - the idea is already expressed in the OP's sentence, and a more likely word to fill the blank would be something like "directorship" which doesn't in itself repeat the idea of "money for nothing".
    – alephzero
    Commented Oct 14, 2018 at 9:51
  • Tempted to answer foreign ambassador but I'll bite my tongue...
    – pipe
    Commented Oct 15, 2018 at 11:26
  • Sop may be good;(as in offered a position as a sop) although it isn't valueless in terms of salary the position itself is worthless, and it's being given to keep the person happy. had it as answer, but then deleted as I saw that it doesn't fill the blank, although may be of use so adding as comment
    – user172447
    Commented Oct 15, 2018 at 11:41

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
60

The word you're looking for is

sinecure noun
1. A position or office that requires little or no work but provides a salary.

TFD Online.

Improve this answer
1
-6

You could maybe use

pencil pusher
(informal, often derogatory) One who does routine office work; someone involved mainly in paperwork.

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/pencil_pusher

Improve this answer
2
  • 14
    That implies neither honorary nor lucrative (rather the opposite).
    – 11684
    Commented Oct 14, 2018 at 9:33
  • 3
    This does not fit what the OP is looking for at all. Paper pushers DO work, and it is not a position given to appease them.
    – Aethenosity
    Commented Oct 14, 2018 at 23:11

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .