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3465 25th Street, Suite 17
San Francisco, CA 94110 | (noun)
[SIE-ni-kyoor', SIN-i-kyoor'] 
1. an office or position that provides a regular income, but requires very little work or responsibility: "Lisa's highest career aspiration was a sinecure in the library stacks, where little would distract her from devouring the surrounding volumes."
2. (archaic) a church office whose holder is provided an income, but to which no spiritual or pastoral duties are attached
additional noun forms: sinecurism, sinecurist
Origin:
Approximately 1662; borrowed from Medieval Latin, 'beneficium sine cura': benefice without care (of souls); from Latin, 'sine': without + 'cura': care. In action:
"One should probably mention that in 1745 France was at war with Austria, the Netherlands, and England, to no great profit for the people, who were, as usual, being bled to death for the sake of a county here, a border there, part of a colony, an ancient quarrel, a stupid promise, or a pleasant sinecure for the eldest of Louis's daughters, Mme. Infante, who was bored at the Spanish court of her in-laws and begged Papa to help make her Duchess of Parma."
Judith Thurman. "Eminence Rose: Wallowing in new biographies of Madame de Pompadour," The New Yorker (October 28, 2002).
"'Too often, employees describe one of the main attractions of civil service as 'job security.' This gives an appearance of wanting a sinecure to protect low output, nonfeasance and the like. But it usually isn't,' Dunning wrote.
'The job security is protection from being fired, down-graded, not promoted or humiliated because of the whim of one properly placed supervisor -- often without any further review. In addition, poor supervisors also can be very clever, so casual review [of their actions] reveals nothing amiss.'
Dunning pointed out that the private sector and the civil service 'have their strong and weak points, and both are vital to our nation's well-being.'
He added: 'Civil service rules, for example, could have protected the economy from Enron and the like. On the other hand, it probably would have prevented us from having General Electric and similar companies...'"
Stephen Barr. "Job Security Measures Protect Good Workers From Bad Bosses, Says Veteran of Agency Creation," The Washington Post (October 21, 2002).
"Distressed by the constant warfare between the Chinese states and by the venality and tyranny of the rulers, [Confucius] urged a system of morality and statecraft that would preserve peace and provide people with stable and just government. He gathered about him a number of disciples, some occupying high positions, although Confucius himself was at most granted an insignificant sinecure, possibly because of his extremely outspoken manner toward his superiors."
"Confucius." The Columbia Encyclopedia (2001).
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