bonus

noun

bo·​nus ˈbō-nəs 

: something in addition to what is expected or strictly due: such as

a

: money or an equivalent given in addition to an employee's usual compensation

b

: a premium (as of stock) given by a corporation to a purchaser of its securities, to a promoter, or to an employee

c

: a government payment to war veterans

d

: a sum in excess of salary given to an athlete for signing with a team

Synonyms of bonus

• dividend
• gift
• extra
• contribution
• tip
• perk
• donation
• pension

Examples of bonus in a Sentence

As a bonus for good behavior you can stay up late.

The product has the added bonus of providing extra vitamins.

Staff members were given a bonus for finishing the project on schedule.

The company offered bonuses to entice new workers.

We receive annual bonuses at the end of the year.

Recent Examples on the Web

Your kids should not be forced to instantly blend emotionally with their father’s new wife and bonus children simply because the adults are ready. —Jann Blackstone, Boston Herald, 14 June 2026

Why should Miami pay a bonus for things not going well? —Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 14 June 2026

Even worse, the penalty for their 0-16 record in 2017 was a bonus, the first pick in the NFL Draft. —Maurice O'Sullivan, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 June 2026

As a bonus, citronella grass is easy to care for, requiring only a sunny spot and watering once the top of the soil is dry. —Cori Sears, The Spruce, 13 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin, literally, good — more at bounty

First Known Use

1759, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for bonus

• bonis
• clonus
• conus
• cronus
• jonas
• lowness
• onus
• slowness
• tonus
• colonus
• coregonus
• dendroctonus

Kids Definition

bonus

noun

bo·​nus ˈbō-nəs 

: something given to somebody (as a worker) in addition to what is usual or owed

Etymology

from Latin bonus "good" — related to bona fide, bonbon, boon entry 2, bounty