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

Bourne gets his bonus Kendrick Bourne earned a nice pay day with a catch. —Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 23 Dec. 2025

Earlier this year, the company introduced a loyalty program called Club JSX, which offers rebates for future flight credit based on purchases along with perks like birthday bonuses. —Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 22 Dec. 2025

The grocery store gets a $5,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket. —Madeline Bartos, CBS News, 22 Dec. 2025

As a bonus, plants thrive in the southern summer heat without burning. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 22 Dec. 2025

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