bribery
Americannoun
PLURAL
briberiesnoun
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012Usage
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.
Etymology
Origin of bribery
1350–1400; Middle English briberie theft < Middle French: begging. See bribe, -ery
Compare meaning
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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.
Prosecutors weighed charges of bribery, obstruction and disclosing information from a criminal investigation for financial gain.
From Los Angeles Times
As part of a plea agreement, Pacheco agreed to cooperate with the government’s investigation into the bribery scheme.
From Los Angeles Times
The couple, who have maintained their innocence, were charged with 14 counts in 2024, including conspiracy, bribery, wire fraud, money laundering and violating a ban on acting as agents of a foreign organisation.
From BBC
His wife is also in custody and on trial on charges including bribery, stock-market rigging, and accepting luxury gifts worth more than $50,000.
From Barron's
The BBC went to the 66-year-old's rural home in northern France to ask him in person if he had ever been paid money in connection to the Gill bribery case.
From BBC
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.
