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

The convenience store will receive a $100,000 bonus for selling the jackpot-winning ticket, the Oregon Lottery said. —Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024

Some countries that field far fewer athletes offer much larger bonuses: Hong Kong offers the equivalent of about $638,000 to gold medalists, and Singapore offers about $740,000. —Becky Sullivan, NPR, 10 Apr. 2024

Prior to Calipari, Arkansas football coach Sam Pittman had the Razorbacks’ largest contract of $5.25 million annually, plus an average of $1.1 million in deferred compensation that is paid as a retention bonus. —Matt Jones, arkansasonline.com, 10 Apr. 2024

For selling the winning ticket, managers of the Plaid Pantry location plan to share their $100,000 bonus. —Claire Rush, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2024

Participants receive a 20% bonus for car seats, strollers and select baby home gear. —Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 9 Apr. 2024

Other executives will receive a total of $1.24 million in bonuses. —Drew Harwell, Washington Post, 7 Apr. 2024

Despite their isolating experiences on Nickelodeon, Samuels claims in the bonus episode that Schneider called her a week before the documentary was released asking for a quote of support. —Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 7 Apr. 2024

That is in addition to a $1,000 bonus Kemp sent out in December. —Jeff Amy, Quartz, 29 Mar. 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