spoils
Britishplural noun
-
(sometimes singular) valuables seized by violence, esp in war
-
the rewards and benefits of public office regarded as plunder for the winning party or candidate See also spoils system
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.
Carter’s administration instituted the most sweeping reforms of the civil service since 1883’s Pendleton Act, which replaced the spoils system and created a professional, merit-based system.
From Salon • Feb. 15, 2026
When victory came his way, Lincoln was not averse to dispensing the spoils.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 5, 2026
The Democratic Unionist Party won the subsequent poll, eventually taking the spoils by going into government with Sinn Fein.
From BBC • Jan. 31, 2026
While households across the income spectrum are expected to benefit, the spoils won’t be shared equally, experts say.
From Barron's • Jan. 24, 2026
He’d tug at my father’s pant legs during church sermons, roam the shadows of restaurant tables, publicly address his mother by her given name: all these spoils of our American life.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
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.
