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

• 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 matters more than any retention bonus ever could. —Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025

Start up a new sportsbook account with the BetMGM bonus code NW150 to get a chance at $150 in bonus bets or a $1,500 first bet safety net for Monday's MLB games and the Club World Cup. —Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025

If said midfielder is skilled at carrying the ball across short distances, that would be a bonus too. —Carl Anka, New York Times, 30 June 2025

Only 875 permits have been issued under the city’s bonus program. —Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 June 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