Merriam-Webster's Word Central

May 17, 2012

pecuniary (adjective): \pih-KYOO-nee-air-ee\
What does it mean?: : of, relating to, or consisting of money
How do you use it?: Since she has shown an interest in pecuniary matters since childhood, it is no surprise that Julia has decided to become an accountant.
Are you a word wiz?: Which of these sentences would you put your money on as the one that uses "pecuniary" correctly?

A. After he bought a house and a new car, Mr. Franklin's pecuniary needs forced him to find a second job.

B. Carlos realized that he was looking at a pecuniary, and not a pig, when he noticed its small size.

C. No one told Miranda it was a masquerade party, so she looked rather pecuniary wearing a T-shirt and jeans.

D. The billionaire's biography described how he failed to achieve pecuniary success.

It's answer A that pays off. Answer B uses "pecuniary" as a noun instead of an adjective. The writer of that sentence was thinking of the piglike animal called a "peccary." Since guests at a masquerade party don't wear their ordinary clothes, the writer of the sentence for C should have said that Miranda looked "peculiar" in her T-shirt and jeans. The writer of the sentence for D turned the meaning of "pecuniary" upside down. Anyone who is a billionaire has clearly been successful in money matters. That leaves sentence A, and the heavy financial burden placed upon Mr. Franklin by his purchases.