bribe

American  

[brahyb] / braɪb /

noun

1. money or any other valuable consideration given or promised with a view to corrupting the behavior of a person, especially in that person's performance as an athlete, public official, etc..

   The motorist offered the arresting officer a bribe to let him go.

2. anything given or serving to persuade or induce.

   The children were given candy as a bribe to be good.

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verb (used with object)

bribed, bribing

1. to give or promise a bribe to.

   They bribed the reporter to forget about what he had seen.

2. to influence or corrupt by a bribe.

   The judge was too honest to be bribed.

verb (used without object)

bribed, bribing

1. to give a bribe; practice bribery.

bribe British  

/ braɪb /

verb

1. to promise, offer, or give something, usually money, to (a person) to procure services or gain influence, esp illegally

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noun

1. a reward, such as money or favour, given or offered for this purpose

2. any persuasion or lure

3. a length of flawed or damaged cloth removed from the main piece

Usage

What does bribe mean? A bribe is money or something else of value offered or given to someone to get them to do something you want them to do, especially something they’re not supposed to do. Bribe can also be used as a verb meaning to offer or give someone a bribe. The act of doing so is called bribery. 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. Bribe can also refer to offering an incentive (or the incentive itself) to someone to do something, especially a child, as in I tried bribing the kids with TV time as a reward for cleaning up their room, but apparently even bribes don’t work because they didn’t do it. Example: The video clearly shows the lobbyist presenting the senator a briefcase full of money as a bribe for a favorable vote—it’s an open-and-shut case of bribery.

Other Word Forms

• bribability noun
• bribable adjective
• bribeability noun
• bribeable adjective
• bribee noun
• briber noun
• outbribe verb (used with object)
• unbribable adjective
• unbribably adverb
• unbribed adjective
• unbribing adjective

Etymology

Origin of bribe

1350–1400; Middle English < Middle French: remnant of food given as alms, said to be < an expressive base *bri ( m ) b- denoting something small

Explanation

You pay a bribe to get someone to do something they wouldn't do otherwise. It's usually dishonest and often criminal. Bribes can be utterly corrupt and illegal — like when you offer a bribe to a politician so she'll make a decision in your favor. On the other hand, a bribe can be somewhat benign — like when your mom bribes you with an ice cream if you play with your little brother. When you bribe someone, you can say you're "greasing their palm."

Example Sentences

Samantha’s father hires Nana away from her grimy pub-cleaning job to answer the phone at his taxi service: a good-hearted gesture or a bribe to keep her and Janey quiet?

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

"I wouldn't have been able to live with myself knowing that I had taken effectively a bribe."

From BBC • Jan. 15, 2026

It was a $16 million bribe paid to a bully.

From Salon • Dec. 22, 2025

He and his wife Carla Bruni face another possible trial over allegations that they tried to bribe a key prosecution witness in the Libya campaign financing case with the help of a paparazzi boss.

From Barron's • Dec. 17, 2025

“We should have tried to bribe them for more information,” Chubs said.

From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken

Related Words

• blackmail
• compensation
• gift
• graft
• gratuity
• hush money
• incentive
• inducement
• kickback
• perk
• reward