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Synonyms

bonus

American  
[boh-nuhs] / ˈboʊ nəs /

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 British  
/ 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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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

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.

He treated the lottery more like "an opportunity to donate to charity - with the chance of winning as a bonus" and was shocked at finally seeing the winning code.

From BBC

The vendors that provide such services also offer tools that are built to set bonus or incentive compensation, according to the report.

From MarketWatch

Much like the first installment, “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” features a couple of bonus scenes that are shown after the credits begin to roll.

From Los Angeles Times

He’s also started to see performance-based cash bonuses in a small number of companies.

From The Wall Street Journal

Emerging with the number one ranking would be an added bonus.

From BBC