something given, paid, or received above what is due or expected an extra dividend allotted to shareholders out of profits a dividend, esp a percentage of net profits, distributed to policyholders either annually or when the policy matures
a slang word for a bribe
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
bo•nus /ˈboʊnəs/USA pronunciation
n. [countable], pl. -nus•es.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- something given over and above the normal or expected, esp. a sum of money:received a handsome bonus for clinching the deal.
bo•nus
(bō′nəs),USA pronunciation n., pl. -nus•es.
- something given or paid over and above what is due.
- Businessa sum of money granted or given to an employee, a returned soldier, etc., in addition to regular pay, usually in appreciation for work done, length of service, accumulated favors, etc.
- Businesssomething free, as an extra dividend, given by a corporation to a purchaser of its securities.
- Businessa premium paid for a loan, contract, etc.
- something extra or additional given freely:Every purchaser of a pound of coffee received a box of cookies as a bonus.
- Latin: good
- 1765–75
- 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged . reward, honorarium, gift.
- 2.See corresponding entry in Unabridged . Bonus, bounty, premium refer to something extra beyond a stipulated payment. A bonus is a gift to reward performance, paid either by a private employer or by a government:a bonus based on salary; a soldiers' bonus.A bounty is a public aid or reward offered to stimulate interest in a specific purpose or undertaking and to encourage performance:a bounty for killing wolves.A premium is usually something additional given as an inducement to buy, produce, or the like:a premium received with a magazine subscription.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
'add as a bonus' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):