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bounty

noun
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boun·​ty | \ ˈbau̇n-tē How to pronounce bounty (audio) \
plural bounties

Definition of bounty

1 : something that is given generously nature's bounty
2 : liberality in giving : generosity
3 : yield especially of a crop this summer's bounty of tomatoes
4 : a reward, premium, or subsidy especially when offered or given by a government: such as
a : an extra allowance to induce entry into the armed services
b : a grant to encourage an industry
c : a payment to encourage the destruction of noxious animals a bounty on coyotes
d : a payment for the capture of or assistance in the capture of an outlaw had a bounty of $500 on his head
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Synonyms for bounty

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Examples of bounty in a Sentence

summer's bounty of plump tomatoes The cottage is filled with a bounty of fresh flowers.
Recent Examples on the Web Prime habitat conditions and a harvest moon set the table for what could be a bounty. — Matt Wyatt, Houston Chronicle, "Teal season arrives for Texas hunters, and it’ll be a scorcher," 13 Sep. 2019 Generally the living is good in Campo Grande; the city is free of most natural predators, and a bounty of fruit and nuts grow in numerous parks and green spaces. — Miguel Conde, National Geographic, "Hundreds of wild parrots are thriving in this Brazilian city," 6 Sep. 2019 The modern era of the Internet has given us a seemingly never-ending bounty of farfetched conspiracy theories. — Kate Cox, Ars Technica, "FBI says “extremists” motivated by Pizzagate, QAnon are threats," 1 Aug. 2019 Television rallied support for NASA, TV newsmen educated Americans about space, and the space program provided a bounty of dramatic programming for the broadcast networks. — Brian Stelter, CNN, "Remembering Walter Cronkite's words on the day of the Apollo 11 moon landing," 20 July 2019 Do not despair, for this is the season when the curtain rises in the Berkshires to reveal a bounty of good, sometimes great, theater. — Don Aucoin, BostonGlobe.com, "Why the Berkshires ought to be any theatergoer’s summer destination," 27 June 2019 First, the authorities announced that an unspecified person with an undisclosed motive had placed a $7,800 bounty on Ortiz’s head. — BostonGlobe.com, "t was painless at first, the bullet that ripped through David Ortiz’s torso and lodged in his friend’s leg.," 15 Sep. 2019 In the video, Cabello poses as a nightclub singer who has a bounty on her head — which is covered in platinum blonde locks for the role. — Ashley Boucher, PEOPLE.com, "Camila Cabello Opens Up About Life After Her Recent Breakup: 'I Think I'm Just More Brave'," 12 July 2019 In July, 2004, the United States increased the bounty on Zarqawi to twenty-five million dollars—the same as that on bin Laden. — Ben Taub, The New Yorker, "The Law That Makes It Easy to Go to War with Iran," 27 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bounty.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of bounty

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for bounty

Middle English bounte goodness, from Anglo-French bunté, bountee, from Latin bonitat-, bonitas, from bonus good, from Old Latin duenos; akin to Sanskrit duva reverence, favor

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Statistics for bounty

Last Updated

27 Oct 2019

Time Traveler for bounty

The first known use of bounty was in the 13th century

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More Definitions for bounty

bounty

noun
How to pronounce bounty (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of bounty

literary : good things that are given or provided freely and in large amounts
: an amount of money given to someone as a reward for catching a criminal

See the full definition for bounty in the English Language Learners Dictionary

bounty

noun
boun·​ty | \ ˈbau̇n-tē How to pronounce bounty (audio) \
plural bounties

Kids Definition of bounty

1 : generosity sense 1 acts of bounty
2 : things given in generous amounts the bounty of nature
3 : money given as a reward The sheriff offered a bounty for the bandit's capture.

bounty

noun
boun·​ty | \ ˈbau̇n-tē How to pronounce bounty (audio) \
plural bounties

Legal Definition of bounty

1 : generosity in bestowing gifts especially by will
2 : a reward, premium, or subsidy especially offered by a government

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More from Merriam-Webster on bounty

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for bounty

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with bounty

Spanish Central: Translation of bounty

Nglish: Translation of bounty for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of bounty for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bounty

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