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

That bounty is most commonly a weekly box of fruits, veggies, eggs, milk or meat — a share of what the farmer produces. —Jana Rose Schleis, USA TODAY, 12 Dec. 2024

War bounty was typically used to fund large-scale projects like this, but the Sultan chose to use treasury funds to finance the building, since the Ottomans had not recently claimed victory in a war. —Rachel Davies, Architectural Digest, 12 Dec. 2024

And the State Department has a $10 million bounty for information about him. —Alexander Smith, NBC News, 10 Dec. 2024

But the fact that the strongest anti-Assad faction is a former Al-Qaida affiliate headed by a man who still has a $10 million FBI bounty on his head doesn’t escape anybody’s notice. —Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 10 Dec. 2024

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

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