bribe
Americannoun
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money or any other valuable consideration given or promised with a view to corrupting the behavior of a person, especially in that person's performance as an athlete, public official, etc..
The motorist offered the arresting officer a bribe to let him go.
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anything given or serving to persuade or induce.
The children were given candy as a bribe to be good.
verb (used with object)
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to give or promise a bribe to.
They bribed the reporter to forget about what he had seen.
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to influence or corrupt by a bribe.
The judge was too honest to be bribed.
verb (used without object)
verb
noun
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a reward, such as money or favour, given or offered for this purpose
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any persuasion or lure
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a length of flawed or damaged cloth removed from the main piece
Usage
What does bribe mean? A bribe is money or something else of value offered or given to someone to get them to do something you want them to do, especially something they’re not supposed to do. Bribe can also be used as a verb meaning to offer or give someone a bribe. The act of doing so is called bribery. In most cases, this refers to the often illegal act of offering money to people in official positions, like politicians, government officials, or sports referees, in order to get them to change an outcome to be more favorable to the person offering the bribe. For example, a businessperson might bribe a senator to vote a certain way, which is of course illegal. Bribe can also refer to offering an incentive (or the incentive itself) to someone to do something, especially a child, as in I tried bribing the kids with TV time as a reward for cleaning up their room, but apparently even bribes don’t work because they didn’t do it. Example: The video clearly shows the lobbyist presenting the senator a briefcase full of money as a bribe for a favorable vote—it’s an open-and-shut case of bribery.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of bribe
1350–1400; Middle English < Middle French: remnant of food given as alms, said to be < an expressive base *bri ( m ) b- denoting something small
Explanation
You pay a bribe to get someone to do something they wouldn't do otherwise. It's usually dishonest and often criminal. Bribes can be utterly corrupt and illegal — like when you offer a bribe to a politician so she'll make a decision in your favor. On the other hand, a bribe can be somewhat benign — like when your mom bribes you with an ice cream if you play with your little brother. When you bribe someone, you can say you're "greasing their palm."
Vocabulary lists containing bribe
Maus I: My Father Bleeds History
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Bronx Masquerade
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The Devil's Arithmetic
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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.
Appeared in the November 3, 2025, print edition as 'FDA Official Steps Down, Accused by Drugmaker of Seeking Bribe'.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 3, 2025
And the film’s full title - “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan” - is the longest ever for an Oscar nominee.
From Washington Times • Apr. 13, 2021
And the film’s full title — “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan” — is the longest ever for an Oscar nominee.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 13, 2021
When I launched the I Paid A Bribe website to document corruption in Kenya, my next country of focus was Nigeria.
From BBC • Jun. 22, 2014
When a Woman loves; a kind Look, a tender Word can persuade her to any thing—And I could ask no other Bribe.
From The Beggar's Opera by Gay, John
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.
