bribery
Americannoun
-
briberies
plural
noun
Usage
What does bribery mean? Bribery is the act of giving money (or something else of value) to someone to get them to do something you want them to do, especially something they’re not supposed to do. In other words, bribery is the act of bribing someone—offering them a bribe. 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. Bribery can also refer to the practice of offering someone an incentive to do something, especially a child, as in I tried offering the kids TV time as a reward for cleaning up their room, but apparently bribery doesn’t work because they didn’t do it. Bribery can also refer to the exchange or acceptance of a bribe, but it most commonly refers to the act of offering it. Example: The video clearly shows the lobbyist presenting the senator a briefcase full of money and asking for a favorable vote—it’s an open-and-shut case of bribery.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of bribery
1350–1400; Middle English briberie theft < Middle French: begging. See bribe, -ery
Compare meaning
How does bribery compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
If you secretly give money to a contest judge to win a competition rather than play fairly, you engage in bribery. Bribery involves offering money, gifts, or favors to someone in power to influence their actions in your favor. It’s like slipping a dollar to your friend to get them to do your homework or giving a gift to a teacher for a better grade. Bribery is often illegal because it undermines fairness and honesty, creating an unequal playing field where the rules are bent for those willing to pay. This unethical practice can happen in politics, business, sports, and even everyday situations.
Vocabulary lists containing bribery
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.
See Examples For:
The defendant, who was convicted last year on 21 counts of extortion, bribery, conspiracy and lying to the FBI, was nearly 5,000 miles away in northern Greece.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said in July that Bai was suspected of extortion and bribery, and an extradition request had been submitted to Thailand.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
Annie Clark, Collins’ deputy chief of staff, told ProPublica in an email that Collins’ office “vigorously” denies allegations of bribery and pay-for-play made by Kao, calling his claims “outlandish.”
From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026
Legal experts, meanwhile, say the pledge — however unusual — is unlikely to run afoul of federal bribery and vote-buying statutes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026
I should have come with my bribery coffee and a well-practiced story.
From "Girl in the Blue Coat" by Monica Hesse
By the aid of certain small briberies on the train and in Paris Carmichael gathered, bit by bit, that the destination of the woman he loved was America.
From The Goose Girl by Harold MacGrath
By small briberies employed without sense of compromise, Mrs. Becker had a way with those who served her.
From Star-Dust by Fannie Hurst
But whether Mr. Hastings had the example of others or not, their example could not justify his briberies.
From The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. 10 (of 12) by Edmund Burke
The last war between Russia and Turkey brought to light official fraud and briberies, connected especially with the commissary department of the army, which disgraced the whole nation in the eyes of the world.
From Due North or Glimpses of Scandinavia and Russia by Maturin Murray Ballou
In spite of all the watchfulness, and all the briberies of his police, he could never bend to his own service the whole of this power.
From The History of Napoleon Buonaparte by J. G. (John Gibson) Lockhart
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.
