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

That comes even as a growing number of employers are dishing out bonuses based on AI use. —Jake Angelo, Fortune, 19 Apr. 2026

For those new to travel credit cards, sign-up bonuses may yield benefits that can be put to use as soon as this summer. —ABC News, 18 Apr. 2026

Plus, the pockets are actually functional, which is always a bonus when on-the-go. —Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 18 Apr. 2026

But the deluge of hires has strained the agency, which promised signing bonuses of up to $50,000 and advertised that college degrees were not required. —Ryan J. Foley, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 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