bounty

noun

boun·​ty ˈbau̇n-tē 

plural bounties

1

: something that is given generously

nature's bounty

2

: liberality in giving : generosity

3

: yield especially of a crop

this summer's bounty of tomatoes

4

: a reward, premium, or subsidy especially when offered or given by a government: such as

a

: an extra allowance to induce entry into the armed services

b

: a grant to encourage an industry

c

: a payment to encourage the destruction of noxious animals

a bounty on coyotes

d

: a payment for the capture of or assistance in the capture of an outlaw

had a bounty of $500 on his head

Synonyms

• price
• reward

Examples of bounty in a Sentence

summer's bounty of plump tomatoes

The cottage is filled with a bounty of fresh flowers.

Recent Examples on the Web

Idaho Legislature wanted no part of the federal plan to reintroduce wolves Thanks to bounties, trapping and widespread poisoning, by the 1930s the U.S. federal government all but killed off wolves that used to roam the U.S. Rocky Mountains from the Canadian border to Mexico. —Clark Corbin, Idaho Statesman, 12 June 2025

Alas, this bounty doesn’t extend to the standalone antivirus under discussion here. —PC Magazine, 11 June 2025

Excommunicated from his assassin’s guild and with a $14 million bounty on his head, courtesy of the all-powerful High Table, John gets into nasty blade-throwing brawls and even rides a horse through New York to escape a city full of secret killers. —Brian Truitt, USA Today, 9 June 2025

The open-plan common areas, designed to showcase the continent’s vast aesthetic and natural bounty, champion the distinctly African luxuries of seemingly boundless space and exuberant nature. —Alexandra Kirkman, Forbes.com, 9 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English bounte goodness, from Anglo-French bunté, bountee, from Latin bonitat-, bonitas, from bonus good, from Old Latin duenos; akin to Sanskrit duva reverence, favor

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing bounty

• bounty hunter

Rhymes for bounty

• county

Kids Definition

bounty

noun

boun·​ty ˈbau̇nt-ē 

plural bounties

1

a

: generosity sense 1

b

: something given generously

2

: money given as a reward (as for killing a harmful animal or capturing a criminal)

Etymology

Middle English bounte "goodness," from early French bunté (same meaning), derived from Latin bonus "good" — related to bonus

Legal Definition

bounty

noun

boun·​ty ˈbau̇n-tē 

plural bounties

1

: generosity in bestowing gifts especially by will

2

: a reward, premium, or subsidy especially offered by a government