perks

What it means

Perks are extra benefits that come with a job, membership, or situation beyond the basic deal — things like free coffee, gym access, or travel discounts. The word is informal but used freely in business and everyday conversation. It implies the bonuses are nice-to-have rather than essential.

Examples

• Free lunch every Friday is one of the best perks of this job.
• Being friends with the manager has its perks.
• The hotel offered a few extra perks for repeat guests.
• Working from home has its perks, but I miss the office coffee.

Where it comes from

A 19th-century informal shortening of 'perquisites,' a Latin-derived English word for incidental privileges or earnings tied to a position. It entered everyday English by the early 1800s.

Related slang