bribe
money or any other valuable consideration given or promised with a view to corrupting the behavior of a person, especially in that person's performance as an athlete, public official, etc.: The motorist offered the arresting officer a bribe to let him go.
anything given or serving to persuade or induce: The children were given candy as a bribe to be good.
to give or promise a bribe to: They bribed the reporter to forget about what he had seen.
to influence or corrupt by a bribe: The judge was too honest to be bribed.
Origin of bribe
1Other words from bribe
- brib·a·ble, bribe·a·ble, adjective
- brib·a·bil·i·ty, bribe·a·bil·i·ty, noun
- brib·ee, noun
- briber, noun
- outbribe, verb (used with object), out·bribed, out·brib·ing.
- un·brib·a·ble, adjective
- un·brib·a·bly, adverb
- un·bribed, adjective
- un·brib·ing, adjective
Words Nearby bribe
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use bribe in a sentence
Cocaine busts, tax cheats, and bribe-taking, born-again Christians: Welcome to the political scandals of 2014.
In a sense, she attempts to bribe the pastor, offering to make his church her home.
The Good Wife’s Religion Politics: Voters Have No Faith in Alicia's Atheism | Regina Lizik | November 24, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTBut at least in Moscow, a bribe or a good connection stand you a fighting chance to get what you need.
Despite ObamaCare, US Health System Still a Complete Mess | Molly Worthen | October 11, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAsked if he did anything wrong, Cianci responded simply, “I was not guilty of conspiracy to take a bribe.”
Can America’s Favorite Ex-Con Mayor Win Again? | David Freedlander | June 22, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST“I did not have enough money to bribe the judge, so I decided to become a mercenary,” Mozhayev told a local reporter.
If you knew an honourable man was to be offered a bribe to do a dishonourable act, you would feel sure he would refuse it.
God and my Neighbour | Robert BlatchfordIt throve because it came with the tempting bribe of Heaven in one hand, and the withering threat of Hell in the other.
God and my Neighbour | Robert BlatchfordFather is in a rage because I will not stay home; he offered me to-day the deed for two hundred acres as a bribe.
Tessa Wadsworth's Discipline | Jennie M. DrinkwaterHe tried to bribe us to let him go, and made us repeated offers until he reached a figure as high as ten thousand dollars.
Motor Matt's "Century" Run | Stanley R. MatthewsHe said he had sat the whole day at the Central Station watching passengers giving bribe to procure their tickets.
Third class in Indian railways | Mahatma Gandhi
British Dictionary definitions for bribe
/ (braɪb) /
to promise, offer, or give something, usually money, to (a person) to procure services or gain influence, esp illegally
a reward, such as money or favour, given or offered for this purpose
any persuasion or lure
a length of flawed or damaged cloth removed from the main piece
Origin of bribe
1Derived forms of bribe
- bribable or bribeable, adjective
- briber, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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