bonus

noun

bo·​nus ˈbō-nəs How to pronounce bonus (audio)
: something in addition to what is expected or strictly due: such as
a
: money or an equivalent given in addition to an employee's usual compensation
b
: a premium (as of stock) given by a corporation to a purchaser of its securities, to a promoter, or to an employee
c
: a government payment to war veterans
d
: a sum in excess of salary given to an athlete for signing with a team

Examples of bonus in a Sentence

As a bonus for good behavior you can stay up late. The product has the added bonus of providing extra vitamins. Staff members were given a bonus for finishing the project on schedule. The company offered bonuses to entice new workers. We receive annual bonuses at the end of the year.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In a regulatory filing on Thursday, Lionsgate disclosed that as of April the exec will receive an annual base salary of $1,200,000 with a target annual bonus that’s 85 percent of his base salary. Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 10 Apr. 2025 As a bonus for new members, the travel bundle also comes with three months of unlimited streaming access to Pvolve’s library of over 1,500 classes. Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 10 Apr. 2025 Best DraftKings Promo Code Offer for the Masters DraftKings has added several bonuses for The Masters, including an instant bonus bet match. Raja Krishnamoorthi, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Apr. 2025 This bagless vacuum has a large-capacity dust cup (0.88-quart), which is a bonus for households with pets. Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 9 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bonus

Word History

Etymology

Latin, literally, good — more at bounty

First Known Use

1759, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bonus was in 1759

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Cite this Entry

“Bonus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bonus. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

bonus

noun
bo·​nus ˈbō-nəs How to pronounce bonus (audio)
: something given to somebody (as a worker) in addition to what is usual or owed
Etymology

from Latin bonus "good" — related to bona fide, bonbon, boon entry 2, bounty

More from Merriam-Webster on bonus

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