bribery
Americannoun
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:
Billionaire Adani met Trump Jr. while facing U.S. bribery charges.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 24, 2026
"Diezani Alison-Madueke was cleared of six charges of bribery at Southwark Crown Court on 17 June 2026, after a five-month trial," defence lawyer Jonathan Laidlaw said in a press release.
From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026
Prosecutors said that Adani personally met with an Indian official on several occasions to advance the bribery scheme.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026
The new indictment adds charges of bribery in sporting contests and honest services wire fraud conspiracy to the existing two wire fraud charges he has faced since October.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2026
There was a morality to the house, and Emma was the moral center, the bribery notwithstanding.
From "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman
The barefaced acts of injustice and shameless briberies daily occurring in the Mehkames, or halls of justice, would seem almost incredible to an European, and especially an Englishman.
From Travels in Arabia; comprehending an account of those territories in Hedjaz which the Mohammedans regard as sacred by Burckhardt, John Lewis
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 Burke, Edmund
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 MacGrath, Harold
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 Lockhart, J. G. (John Gibson)
Now your Lordships will find, that, of these faithful domestic servants, there is not one of them who was not concerned in these enormous briberies, and in betraying their own native and natural master.
From The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. 12 (of 12) by Burke, Edmund
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.
