something given or paid over and above what is due.
2.
a 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.
3.
something free, as an extra dividend, given by a corporation to a purchaser of its securities.
4.
a premium paid for a loan, contract, etc.
5.
something extra or additional given freely: Every purchaser of a pound of coffee received a box of cookies as a bonus.
[Origin: 1765–75; < L: good]
—Synonyms 1. reward, honorarium, gift. 2.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.
Something given or paid in addition to what is usual or expected.
A sum of money or an equivalent given to an employee in addition to the employee's usual compensation.
A sum of money in addition to salary that is given to a professional athlete for signing up with a team.
A subsidy from a government to an industry.
A sum of money paid by a government to a war veteran.
A premium, as of stock, that is given by a corporation to another party, such as a purchaser of its securities.
A sum of money that is paid by a corporation in excess of interest or royalties charged for the granting of a privilege or a loan to that corporation.
Basketball An additional free throw awarded to a player who has been fouled when the opposing team has committed more than a specified number of fouls during a period of play.
[From Latin, good; see deu-2 in Indo-European roots.]
Bon"ny\, a. [Spelled bonnie by the Scotch.] [OE. boni, prob. fr. F. bon, fem. bonne, good, fr. L. bonus good. See Bounty, and cf. Bonus, Boon.]1. Handsome; beautiful; pretty; attractively lively and graceful. Till bonny Susan sped across the plain. --Gay. Far from the bonnie banks of Ayr. --Burns. 2. Gay; merry; frolicsome; cheerful; blithe. Be you blithe and bonny. --Shak. Report speaks you a bonny monk, that would hear the mati?chime ere he quitted his bowl. --Sir W. Scott.
![[P]](http://cache.lexico.com/g/d/premium_mh.gif){kind=small}
Audio Help [boh-nuh
