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

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

From Los Angeles Times

Excluding bonuses, pay grew at an annual rate of 4.8% between July and September - the lowest in more than two years.

From BBC

What many drivers did not realize was that Lyft would not be giving them a $975 bonus but merely paying the difference between what they had already earned and what the program guaranteed.

From Los Angeles Times

Use your freed-up time to volunteer with pro-choice or environmental groups, which adds the bonus of meeting new friends.

From Salon

Peering down through the stage door, Martin thanked the crew members who came to his rescue, joking, “You get a bonus, you get a bonus.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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