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

Our expert take The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express has no annual fee and earns bonus rewards on a wide range of common expenditures. —Andreina Rodriguez, CNBC, 1 Dec. 2025

Battery life holds up for long commutes, and Android users get the bonus of LDAC streaming. —PC Magazine, 1 Dec. 2025

Some examples of how this could affect you are regarding an inheritance, a bonus, a settlement, a shift in your benefits package from your employer, assets or investments. —Kyle Thomas, PEOPLE, 30 Nov. 2025

Pre-registering now will set up you to unlock a $300 bonus offer when the app launches. —Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Nov. 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