Definition of "pension" []

• A sum of money paid regularly as a retirement benefit or by way of patronage. (noun)
• To grant a pension to. (verb-transitive)
• To retire or dismiss with a pension: "Some French farmers suggest that the Government pension off the older and less efficient farmers” ( E.J. Dionne, Jr.) (verb-transitive)
• A boarding house or small hotel in Europe: "A pension had somewhat less to offer than a hotel; it was always smaller, and never elegant; it sometimes offered breakfast, and sometimes not” ( John Irving). (noun)
• Accommodations or the payment for accommodations, especially at a boarding house or small hotel in Europe. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Reduced to a pension (_pension alimentaire_) of only 400 francs a year, he attempted to study medicine, and while waiting until he had the time to give to the necessary studies, he worked in the dreary office of a bank."
• "Some argue that creating a pension is the responsibility of each individual, and people should be able to make their own decisions about retirement."
• "The day before the debate, McCain unveiled what he calls his pension and family security plan, which, among other things, would lower taxes for seniors who tap into their retirement accounts."