Definitions

severance pay

NOUN

payout to fired or laid-off worker

Synonyms

WEAK

discontinuance wage dismissal wage golden parachute

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Jones told MPs Lord Mandelson's position on severance pay was "inappropriate and unacceptable".

From BBC • Mar. 11, 2026

Unionized workers at Diageo’s plant in Amherstburg in December ratified a closure agreement that provided enhanced severance pay.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026

The draft law reduces severance pay, allows payments in kind and restricts vacation usage, among other proposals that the General Confederation of Labor considers "regressive."

From Barron's • Feb. 11, 2026

Former workers posted on social media that they were given 10 weeks of severance pay.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2025

I searched for his severance pay on my desk, wondering who the devil had hired him in the first place.

From With a Vengeance by Woodley, J. B.