: something held or claimed as an exclusive right or possession
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Looking to acquire a job loaded with perquisites, or "perks" (a synonym of perquisites)? Don't give up the search! Make plenty of inquiries, send out an exquisitely crafted resume, and follow up with queries. Your quest may result in your conquering of the job market. After all, perquisite derives from Latin perquirere, which means "to search for thoroughly." That Latin word, in turn, is from the verb quaerere, meaning "to ask" or "to seek." Seven other words in this paragraph are from quaerere as well—acquire, inquiries, exquisitely, queries, conquering, quest, and, of course, perk (which was formed by shortening and altering perquisite).
Use of the company's jet is a perquisite of the job. give the movers a perquisite if they do a good job
Recent Examples on the WebCasual swearing is a great perquisite of adulthood, and one of the first that kids attempt to seize for themselves. Rumaan Alam, The New Yorker, 19 May 2020 Hunter fils was also a military bro, enjoying the hell out of his status and the perquisites inherent in his office. Matt Farwell, The New Republic, 6 Dec. 2019 Both his personal attorney and Attorney General William Barr are attempting to institutionalize this kind of immunity as a perquisite of the Presidency. Jelani Cobb, The New Yorker, 27 Oct. 2019 The basic perquisites of a middle-class life, including a secure old age, are no longer attainable for most Americans. Joseph E. Stiglitz, Scientific American, 1 Nov. 2018 To be sure, Mayorga’s civil case would have been strengthened by Ronaldo being charged, but a charge is a not perquisite to the case. Michael Mccann, SI.com, 22 July 2019 The parking perquisite has evolved into a point of pride. Melissa Korn, WSJ, 7 Oct. 2018 Companies can offer it as a perquisite for employees or something an employee pays a few dollars for out of each paycheck. Lynn Brezosky, San Antonio Express-News, 13 May 2018 The Courant calculates compensation as the sum of salary, bonuses, value gained on the exercise of stock options and vesting of stock awards and value of perquisites, such as a retirement plan and personal use of the company’s plane. Stephen Singer, courant.com, 7 Apr. 2018 See More
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, property acquired by means other than inheritance, from Anglo-French perquisit, Medieval Latin perquisitum, from neuter of perquisitus, past participle of perquirere to purchase, acquire, from Latin, to search for thoroughly, from per- thoroughly + quaerere to seek