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

• cumshaw
• dividend
• donative
• extra
• gratuity
• gravy
• gravy train
• lagniappe
• perk
• perquisite
• throw-in
• tip

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

Some just want to make money, for example through bonus payments that Facebook pays out to creators posting public content. —Clare Duffy, CNN, 3 Sep. 2024

Get a $20 bonus with a $100 gift card, a $60 bonus with a $300 gift card, or a $100 bonus with a $500 gift card. —Dan Koday, Travel + Leisure, 1 Sep. 2024

As a rare bonus in Los Angeles, each is open for lunch as well as dinner. —Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2024

In the previous tracking week, the same digital album variant was sold in Swift’s webstore, but with one slight difference — the stylization of the letters in the title of bonus live song. —Keith Caulfield, Billboard, 18 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin, literally, good — more at bounty

First Known Use

1759, in the meaning defined above

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