bonus

[ boh-nuhs ]

noun

, plural bo·nus·es.

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. present ².

Example Sentences

And as a bonus, it didn’t interrupt my massage with chitchat.

From Los Angeles Times

“I didn’t have money before this,” he said, “I was collecting €188-a-week off the social welfare, and now here I am with a 60 G’s bonus and then my own pay.”

From BBC

This payment was described as being for "likely residual income and bonuses" resulting from the Harry Potter films.

From BBC

Furthermore it has emerged that Sweeney was one of six executives who shared a bonus pot of £1.3m at a time when the union is making over 40 people redundant.

From BBC

The deal, which includes a $52-million signing bonus and some deferred money, was first signaled Tuesday night by Snell, who posted to Instagram a photoshopped image of himself in a Dodgers jersey.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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