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

Ofwat has new powers to prevent bonuses being funded from customer bills if the company is judged to have missed environmental or performance targets.

From BBC

Erivo gets bonus points from Yeoh for holding her hand and calming her down with her “big beautiful eyes” when it came time to sing in the movie.

From Los Angeles Times

He appears to see it as a bonus if one of his nominees or allies has faced such allegations.

From Salon

It has also pursued personnel strategies that “minimise domestic political impact”, such as offering bonuses to recruits who volunteer and enlisting foreigners with the promise of citizenship, says Mr Cancian from CSIS.

From BBC

Under the idea, professors would be paid bonuses for excellence, “e.g., $1 million for a Nobel Prize,” Mr. Sass’s presentation said.

From New York Times

Related Words

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