bribery

[brahy-buh-ree]

noun

plural

briberies 

1. the act or practice of giving or accepting a bribe.

   Bribery of a public official is a felony.

ˈbribery

/ ˈbraɪbərɪ /

noun

1. the process of giving or taking bribes

Word History and Origins

Origin of ˈbribery¹

1350–1400; Middle English briberie theft < Middle French: begging. See bribe, -ery

Example Sentences

Kim, the former first lady, was indicted last month for various charges, including bribery and stock manipulation, which she denies.

From BBC

An active investigation into the president’s border advisor over an alleged bribery scheme involving a $50,000 payout was quashed by the White House itself.

From Los Angeles Times

Han Hak-ja flatly rejected claims that she directed the bribery when confronted by reporters as she emerged from nine hours of questioning at the prosecutor's office.

From BBC

Nadine Menendez, 58, was convicted in April of 15 counts, including bribery, after jurors found she acted as a conduit for her husband and Egyptian officials, relaying messages and arranging meetings.

From BBC

Accusations of bribery led to an investigation by the Serious Fraud Office into the deal, which was closed by Tony Blair in 2006 on the grounds that it was contrary to the UK's national interest.

From BBC

Related Words

• crime 
• exploitation 
• extortion 
• fraud 
• graft 
• malfeasance 
• nepotism 

When To Use

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.