bonus
Americannoun
-
something given or paid over and above what is due.
- Synonyms:
- gift, honorarium, reward
-
a sum of money granted or given to an employee, a returned soldier, etc., in addition to regular pay, usually in appreciation for work done, length of service, accumulated favors, etc.
-
something free, as an extra dividend, given by a corporation to a purchaser of its securities.
-
a premium paid for a loan, contract, etc.
-
something extra or additional given freely.
Every purchaser of a pound of coffee received a box of cookies as a bonus.
noun
-
something given, paid, or received above what is due or expected
a Christmas bonus for all employees
-
an extra dividend allotted to shareholders out of profits
-
insurance a dividend, esp a percentage of net profits, distributed to policyholders either annually or when the policy matures
-
a slang word for a bribe
Synonym Usage
Bonus, bounty, premium refer to something extra beyond a stipulated payment. A bonus is a gift to reward performance, paid either by a private employer or by a government: a bonus based on salary; a soldiers' bonus. A bounty is a public aid or reward offered to stimulate interest in a specific purpose or undertaking and to encourage performance: a bounty for killing wolves. A premium is usually something additional given as an inducement to buy, produce, or the like: a premium received with a magazine subscription. See also present 2.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of bonus
1765–75; < Latin: good
Explanation
A bonus is something extra, a benefit beyond what is expected. If you get a bonus at work, it could be extra money or another type of reward for a job well done. A bonus is usually extra financial compensation that is above and beyond an employee's normal base salary or hourly wage. Some other types of employee bonuses are stock options, gift cards, or extra paid time off. But a bonus doesn't have to be related to work. It can be any extra benefit — like a rebate from an insurance company for making no claims in a year. Or it can be something as simple as a warm smile from your favorite teacher as she returns your essay with an A+ on the top.
Vocabulary lists containing bonus
Personal Finance and Financial Literacy - Introductory
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Personal Finance and Financial Literacy - High School
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Personal Finance and Financial Literacy - Middle School
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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.
See Examples For:
In his report last month, Barofsky accused Fain of abusing his office by pressuring Boyer to advocate for a bonus for employees of a training center jointly run by the union and Stellantis.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
The Dodgers entered the draft with the smallest bonus pool at $3,951,900; the White Sox had the most cash to work with, boasting $20,489,500.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026
The new deals typically add void years and convert salary into signing bonus that is prorated.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
He plans to invest the bulk of his next bonus.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026
Mrs. Shields loves to give out bonus points.
From "The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl" by Stacy McAnulty
Teams that have plenty of room under their caps might go the opposite direction and convert bonuses to salaries to free up cap space in future seasons.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
Sources at London City say she is earning less than £1m as a base salary, though potential add-ons and bonuses will increase it.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
Today, the high salaries and signing bonuses being paid to top AI staff in the city can be extraordinary, even by Silicon Valley standards.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
The boom has also strengthened workers' demands for higher pay, and Samsung avoided a major strike in May after reaching an agreement on worker bonuses.
From Barron's ● Jul. 7, 2026
Before his fortieth birthday, McClellan hit his earnings peak, making $100,000 with bonuses.
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
