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

In the 2000s, a bricks-and-mortar retail boom ended with the jailing of Huang Guangyu, the billionaire founder of GOME Electronics, convicted of bribery and insider trading. — Andy Browne, semafor.com, 25 Aug. 2026

He was indicted twice in the 1980s on charges of tax fraud and bribery, but he was found not guilty both times. — Finnegan Belleau, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2026

Paxton has faced allegations of bribery, fraud, abuse of power. — NBC news, 23 Aug. 2026

Gabela came into office in 2023 after running on a reform platform, defeating incumbent Alex Díaz de la Portilla, who at the time was facing charges of money laundering and bribery that were later dropped. — Miami Herald, 20 Aug. 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