tope salarial
Lemma Details
Translation: salary cap; wage cap; salary ceiling
Part of Speech: noun phrase
Etymology: Compound term formed from 'tope' (limit, cap) and 'salarial' (related to salary). 'Tope' comes from the verb 'topar' (to bump into, to meet with an obstacle), while 'salarial' derives from 'salario' (salary), which comes from Latin 'salarium' (originally payment in salt to Roman soldiers).
Commonality: 60%
Guessability: 50%
Register: neutral
Example Usage
El equipo no pudo fichar a la estrella debido al tope salarial de la liga.
The team couldn't sign the star player due to the league's salary cap.
La nueva normativa establece un tope salarial para los ejecutivos de empresas públicas.
The new regulation establishes a salary cap for executives of public companies.
Varios clubes han pedido que se flexibilice el tope salarial durante la crisis.
Several clubs have requested that the salary cap be made more flexible during the crisis.
Mnemonics
- 'Tope' sounds like 'top' in English - think of it as the 'top' or maximum amount for salaries.
- Imagine a salary hitting a 'stop' sign (similar sound to 'tope') when it reaches its maximum.
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Synonyms
Antonyms
Cultural Context
Frequently used in sports contexts, especially in professional football (soccer) and basketball, where teams must adhere to league-imposed salary caps. Also appears in economic and business discussions about compensation limits in organizations.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: While 'tope salarial' specifically refers to a limit on salaries, 'tope máximo' is a more general term for any maximum limit and can be considered somewhat redundant since 'tope' already implies a maximum.
Confused word:
El préstamo tiene un tope máximo de 30.000 euros.
The loan has a maximum limit of 30,000 euros.
Notes: 'Tope salarial' is specific to the context of wages and compensation, while 'tope máximo' can be used in any context where a maximum limit is discussed.
Mnemonic: Remember that 'salarial' specifically relates to wages and salaries, while 'máximo' can apply to any maximum limit.
Explanation: While 'tope salarial' refers to the maximum amount that can be paid (usually in total to a group of employees or players), 'salario mínimo' refers to the minimum wage that must be paid to individual workers by law.
This word:
El tope salarial del equipo es de 90 millones de euros.
The team's salary cap is 90 million euros.
Confused word:
El salario mínimo en España ha aumentado este año.
The minimum wage in Spain has increased this year.
Notes: These terms represent opposite ends of the salary spectrum - one sets an upper limit, the other a lower limit.
Mnemonic: 'Tope' is for 'top' (maximum), while 'mínimo' is clearly for 'minimum'.