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

Alongside the partnership, the company is increasing its Security Bug Bounty rewards, with exceptional findings eligible for up to $172,000, including bonuses. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2026

No such bonus was paid, and during his month’s stay in Haiti, he was never paid, Palacios said. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2026

There’s some additional money to be earned from playoff bonuses, for those who qualify, and lucrative endorsement deals for the bigger stars in the sport, like Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge. — Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 2 Nov. 2026

Right now, there are travel credit cards with bonuses large enough to cover the entire trip. — Jason Stauffer, CNBC, 2 Nov. 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