bonus

[boh-nuhs]

noun

plural

bonuses 

1. something given or paid over and above what is due.

   Synonyms: gift, honorarium, reward

2. 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.

3. something free, as an extra dividend, given by a corporation to a purchaser of its securities.

4. a premium paid for a loan, contract, etc.

5. something extra or additional given freely.

   Every purchaser of a pound of coffee received a box of cookies as a bonus.

bonus

/ ˈbəʊnəs /

noun

1. something given, paid, or received above what is due or expected

   a Christmas bonus for all employees

2. an extra dividend allotted to shareholders out of profits

3. insurance a dividend, esp a percentage of net profits, distributed to policyholders either annually or when the policy matures

4. a slang word for a bribe

Word History and Origins

Origin of bonus¹

1765–75; < Latin: good

Word History and Origins

Origin of bonus¹

C18: from Latin bonus (adj) good

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

An Army-recruiting Facebook page highlights young residents who enlisted and received cash bonuses.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The Tigers made sure of a four-try bonus point seven minutes from time when Moro's sharp line finished a move started when replacement fly-half James O'Connor ran back a kick.

Read more on Barron's

Graves said Mr Crittenden would be paid at the very bottom of the national pay scales for the job - currently £181,018 a year - with the opportunity to earn bonuses for good performance.

Read more on BBC

The spending requirement to get the sign-up bonus points was waived.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Though additional footage has been promoted as “never seen,” much of it was included on a bonus disc accompanying the DVD release.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• benefit 
• bounty 
• dividend 
• gift 
• gratuity 
• perk 
• premium 
• prize 
• reward