bonus

[ boh-nuhs ]

noun

, plural bo·nus·es.

1. something given or paid over and above what is due.

   Synonyms: gift, honorarium, reward

2. a sum of money granted or given to an employee, a returned soldier, etc., in addition to regular pay, usually in appreciation for work done, length of service, accumulated favors, etc.
3. something free, as an extra dividend, given by a corporation to a purchaser of its securities.
4. a premium paid for a loan, contract, etc.
5. something extra or additional given freely:

   Every purchaser of a pound of coffee received a box of cookies as a bonus.

bonus

/ ˈbəʊnəs /

noun

1. something given, paid, or received above what is due or expected

   a Christmas bonus for all employees

2. an extra dividend allotted to shareholders out of profits
3. insurance a dividend, esp a percentage of net profits, distributed to policyholders either annually or when the policy matures
4. a slang word for a bribe

Word History and Origins

Origin of bonus¹

1765–75; < Latin: good

Word History and Origins

Origin of bonus¹

C18: from Latin bonus (adj) good

Synonym Study

Bonus, bounty, premium refer to something extra beyond a stipulated payment. A bonus is a gift to reward performance, paid either by a private employer or by a government: a bonus based on salary; a soldiers' bonus. A bounty is a public aid or reward offered to stimulate interest in a specific purpose or undertaking and to encourage performance: a bounty for killing wolves. A premium is usually something additional given as an inducement to buy, produce, or the like: a premium received with a magazine subscription. present ².

Example Sentences

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, John and David discuss military service and brain trauma with Dave Philipps of The New York Times.

From Slate

And while the Lakers gladly accepted the hardware and the cash bonus that came with last season’s win, the team lost 10 of its next 13 games — the stretch that set the stage for the team to eventually fire Darvin Ham and the entirety of his coaching staff.

From Los Angeles Times

An added bonus — advancing an established and successful story is relatively low-risk.

From Los Angeles Times

Families send their loved ones bonus food packs.

From BBC

Bonus: Tesla, along with Musk ventures like SpaceX, likely won’t have those pesky federal rules and regulations and unions to deal with.

From Slate

Related Words

• benefit
• bounty
• dividend
• gift
• gratuity
• perk
• premium
• prize
• reward