Meaning & use
a bribe
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Meanings
nouncountable
Money or a gift given illegally to persuade someone to act in your favor.
Grammar: Countable: 'a bribe', 'several bribes'. The person who receives it is 'take a bribe'.
Patterns
- take a bribe
- offer someone a bribe
- accept a bribe
- a bribe of $500
The official was arrested for taking a bribe from a construction company.
He offered the guard a bribe to let him through the gate.
The company denied that any bribes were paid to win the contract.
nouncountablefigurative
Something pleasant offered to make someone do what you want, not necessarily illegal.
Grammar: Often used with children or pets; the action is still called a bribe even when it is harmless.
Patterns
- use something as a bribe
- a bribe to get someone to do something
She used candy as a bribe to get the kids to clean their room.
Promising a later bedtime is a common bribe for good behavior.
Word forms
| plural | bribes |
|---|
Common combinations
- take a bribe
- The judge was removed from office for taking a bribe.
- offer a bribe
- It is a crime to offer a bribe to a public official.
- accept a bribe
- She refused to accept a bribe, even though she needed the money.
- a bribe of $10,000
- The businessman was accused of paying a bribe of $10,000.
- accused of taking bribes
- Two officers were accused of taking bribes from local shops.
Synonyms and how they differ
- kickback
- A secret payment made to someone who helped arrange a deal; it is usually a share of the money, not a direct gift.
- payoff
- Money paid to someone to do something dishonest; it often suggests a completed, hidden transaction.
- backhander
- British informal; a bribe, especially one given secretly in cash.
Word family
Commonly confused: a bribe or bribe? a bribe or reward?
a bribe vs bribe
As a verb, 'bribe' needs an object: 'They bribed the official.' As a noun, it is the thing given: 'They gave the official a bribe.'
a bribe vs reward
A reward is money given for helping or returning something, and it is legal; a bribe is given to make someone act dishonestly.
Practice
The manager was fired after he was caught ___ a bribe from a supplier.
Choose one answer.
You 'take a bribe' when you receive it. 'Make a bribe' and 'do a bribe' are not used, and 'get a bribe' sounds too casual and does not fit the formal, criminal context.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a bribe”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.