bonus
Americannoun
plural
bonuses-
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
Related Words
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.
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.
Paice said it was always a pleasure to visit Japan, but called the meeting an "added bonus".
From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026
Unified offered a one-time bonus of 3% for the current school year, then a permanent hike of 4% on July 1, 4% more on Jan. 1, 2027, and 2% more on Jan. 1, 2028.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026
OK, bonus question: You live and work in New York City.
From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026
Starbucks on Thursday rolled out a bonus and tipping program for its employees, and announced a deal that hands off a big slice of its store business in China to an investment firm.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026
As a bonus, I also learned there was a difference between napkins and tissues.
From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi
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.
