bribery

noun

brib·​ery ˈbrī-b(ə-)rē 

plural briberies

: the act or practice of giving or taking a bribe

Examples of bribery in a Sentence

They were arrested on charges of bribery.

Recent Examples on the Web

Joseph Livreri and his brother Anthony Livreri pleaded guilty to conspiracy and bribery after being charged with bribing a former New York City buildings commissioner who was part of Eric Adams' Democratic administration. — Arkansas Online, 12 Sep. 2026

Last year, a wine buyer for Albertsons was charged with commercial bribery and conspiracy for allegedly accepting lavish vacations, luxury watches, gift cards and other bribes in exchange for carrying certain wines. — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026

In 1998, he was indicted on racketeering charges and pleaded guilty to four acts of racketeering, including bribery and extortion in April 1999. — Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2026

The Texas attorney general was impeached by the state House in 2023 on accusations of bribery, obstruction of justice and abuse of the public trust. — Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 9 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1560, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

bribery

noun

brib·​ery ˈbrī-b(ə-)rē 

plural briberies

: the act or practice of bribing

Legal Definition

bribery

noun

brib·​ery

plural briberies

: the crime of giving or taking a bribe