premium

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: pre=mi=um

CIDE DICTIONARY

premium, n. [L. praemium, originally, what one has got before or better than others; prae before + emere to take, buy. See Redeem.].

•  A reward or recompense; a prize to be won by being before another, or others, in a competition; reward or prize to be adjudged; a bounty; as, a premium for good behavior or scholarship, for discoveries, etc.  [1913 Webster]

  " To think it not the necessity, but the premium and privilege of life, to eat and sleep without any regard to glory."  [1913 Webster]

  "The law that obliges parishes to support the poor offers a premium for the encouragement of idleness."  [1913 Webster]
•  Something offered or given for the loan of money; bonus; -- sometimes synonymous with interest, but generally signifying a sum in addition to the capital.  [1913 Webster]

  "People were tempted to lend, by great premiums and large interest."  [1913 Webster]
•  A sum of money paid to underwriters for insurance, or for undertaking to indemnify for losses of any kind.  [1913 Webster]
•  A sum in advance of, or in addition to, the nominal or par value of anything; as, gold was at a premium; he sold his stock at a premium.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

premium, n.
1 an amount to be paid for a contract of insurance.
2 a a sum added to interest, wages, etc.; a bonus. b a sum added to ordinary charges.
3 a reward or prize.
4 (attrib.) (of a commodity) of best quality and therefore more expensive.

Idiom

at a premium
1 highly valued; above the usual or nominal price.
2 scarce and in demand. Premium Bond (or Savings Bond) Brit. a government security without interest but with a draw for cash prizes.
put a premium on
1 provide or act as an incentive to.
2 attach special value to.

Etymology

L praemium booty, reward (as PRAE-, emere buy, take)

THESAURUS

premium

Trinkgeld, abatement, agio, allowance, appreciation, at a premium, award, bait, bank discount, bank rate, bonus, bonus system, bounty, breakage, bribe, carrot, cash discount, chain discount, charge-off, come-on, compensatory interest, compound interest, concession, consideration, costly, cut, dear, dear-bought, decoration, deduction, depreciation, discount, discount rate, dividend, donative, double time, drawback, exceptional, exorbitant interest, expensive, extra, extra added attraction, extra dash, fancy, fee, filigree, filling, fillip, flourish, freebie, frill, fringe benefit, goad, gratuity, gravy, grease, gross interest, guerdon, high, high-priced, honorarium, importance, in short supply, incentive, incentive pay, incitement, inducement, interest, interest rate, kickback, lagniappe, largess, liberality, lucrative interest, lure, luxurious, meed, mortgage points, net interest, not affordable, of great cost, ornament, overtime pay, padding, palm oil, penal interest, penalty, penalty clause, percentage, perks, perquisite, perquisites, plum, pourboire, price, price of money, price reduction, price-cut, pricey, prize, rare, rate, rate of interest, rebate, rebatement, reduction, refund, regard, reward, rich, rollback, salvage, salve, scant, scanty, scarce, setoff, simple interest, solatium, something extra, sparse, sportula, spur, steep, stiff, stimulus, stock, store, stuffing, sumptuous, superaddition, sweetener, tare, time discount, tip, top, trade discount, tret, trimming, twist, underselling, unpayable, usury, value, wrinkle, write-off

ROGET THESAURUS

premium

Debt

N debt, obligation, liability, indebtment, debit, score, bill, check, account (credit), arrears, deferred payment, deficit, default, insolvency, bad debt, interest, premium, usance, usury, floating debt, floating capital, debtor, debitor, mortgagor, defaulter, borrower, indebted, liable, chargeable, answerable for, in debt, in embarrassed circumstances, in difficulties, incumbered, involved, involved in debt, plunged in debt, deep in debt, over one's head in debt, over head and ears in debt, deeply involved, fast tied up, insolvent, minus, out of pocket, unpaid, unrequited, unrewarded, owing, due, in arrear, outstanding, past due, aes alienum debitorem leve gravius inimicum facit, neither a borrower nor a lender be.

Receipt

N receipt, value received, money coming in, income, incomings, innings, revenue, return, proceeds, gross receipts, net profit, earnings, accepta, avails, rent, rent roll, rental, rentage, rack-rent, premium, bonus, sweepstakes, tontine, pension, annuity, jointure, alimony, palimony, pittance, emolument, receiving, received, profitable.

Reward

N reward, recompense, remuneration, meed, guerdon, reguerdon, price, indemnity, indemnification, quittance, compensation, reparation, redress, satisfaction, reckoning, acknowledgment, requital, amends, sop, atonement, retribution, consideration, return, quid pro quo, salvage, perquisite, vail, douceur, bribe, hush money, smart money, blackmail, extortion, carcelage, solatium, allowance, salary, stipend, wages, compensation, pay, payment, emolument, tribute, batta, shot, scot, bonus, premium, tip, fee, honorarium, hire, dasturi, dustoori, mileage, crown, remunerative, remuneratory, munerary, compensatory, retributive, reparatory, rewarding, satisfactory, fideli certa merces, honor virtutis praemium, tibi seris tibi metis.