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

Bet $5 on Bears-Texans after activating the latest FanDuel promo code offer and get $200 in bonus bets, win or lose. —Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025

For comparison, Paris last summer was the first time Jamaica paid out bonuses at an Olympics. —Liam Tharme, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025

Only Venus, Jupiter and Saturn are visible to the naked eye — with Neptune and Uranus requiring a telescope — though there is a bonus sight this week as the moon makes an appearance. —Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025

The champion bull rider earns a gold buckle and $1 million bonus. —Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 31 Aug. 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