bribe
B2-C1Formal to informal; most often used in contexts of corruption, law, politics, and news.
Definition
Meaning
An illegal or corrupt payment, gift, or favor offered or given to someone in a position of trust to influence their judgment or conduct.
Can refer to anything offered as an inducement to someone to act in a way that is improper or disloyal, including in non-financial contexts (e.g., 'The child was bribed with sweets to be quiet').
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily denotes an act of corruption, but can be used hyperbolically in everyday contexts for minor inducements. Carries a strong negative moral judgment.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage and meaning are identical; no significant lexical differences.
Connotations
Identical strong negative connotations of corruption and illegality in both variants.
Frequency
Similar frequency in both varieties, common in legal, political, and journalistic discourse.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
to bribe someone (to do something)to bribe someone with somethingto be bribed into (doing) somethingVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “grease someone's palm (informal)”
- “pay off”
- “on the take (informal)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to corrupt payments to secure contracts, licenses, or favorable treatment, e.g., 'The company was fined for paying bribes to foreign officials.'
Academic
Studied in law, political science, and economics in the context of corruption, governance, and institutional integrity.
Everyday
Used for minor, often humorous inducements, e.g., 'I bribed the kids with ice cream to clean their rooms.'
Technical
In legal contexts, a specific criminal charge, often defined precisely by statute (e.g., bribery, graft).
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The contractor tried to bribe the council planning officer.
- He was accused of bribing his way into the university.
American English
- The lobbyist attempted to bribe a senator for his vote.
- They bribed the guard to look the other way.
adverb
British English
- Not commonly used as a standalone adverb. 'Bribingly' is extremely rare and non-standard.
American English
- Not commonly used as a standalone adverb. 'Bribingly' is extremely rare and non-standard.
adjective
British English
- The bribe money was traced to an offshore account.
- He was involved in a bribe scandal.
American English
- The bribe attempt was caught on video.
- They followed the bribe payment through shell companies.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- He offered the boy a sweet as a bribe to stop crying.
- It is wrong to take a bribe.
- The politician was arrested for accepting a large bribe.
- They tried to bribe the police officer with money.
- Investigators uncovered a complex scheme to bribe foreign officials.
- The journalist refused the bribe and reported the incident.
- The anti-corruption agency has stringent measures to prevent bribery in public procurement.
- The court examined whether the gift constituted an illicit bribe or a legitimate token of appreciation.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a 'BRIdge' built with money to BUY your way across to a favorable outcome. BRIBE = Buying Results Illegally By Expenditure.
Conceptual Metaphor
CORRUPTION IS A CONTAMINANT / A SOCIAL DISEASE. Also, INFLUENCE IS A COMMODITY THAT CAN BE BOUGHT.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Не путать с 'взятка' (bribe) и 'подкуп' (bribing/bribery as an act). 'Bribe' — это сама взятка (предмет/деньги), а также действие 'дать взятку'. Существительное 'bribery' — это общее понятие подкупа, взяточничества.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect part of speech: Using 'bribe' as only a noun when it is also a common verb (He bribed the official).
- Confusing 'bribe' (negative/illegal) with 'reward' (positive/legal).
Practice
Quiz
In a lighter, everyday context, what might a parent jokingly refer to as a 'bribe'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Bribe' is typically the specific payment or favor offered (a noun) or the act of offering it (a verb). 'Bribery' is the broader practice or crime of giving or receiving bribes; it's an uncountable noun describing the system or act.
No, in its standard meaning it is always negative and implies corruption. However, in informal, hyperbolic use (e.g., 'I bribed the cat with treats to come inside'), the negativity is humorously diminished, but the core concept of an improper inducement remains.
No. A reward is given AFTER a desired action as thanks, and is positive/legal. A bribe is offered BEFORE an action to corruptly induce it, and is negative/illegal. Context and timing are key.
'Solicit a bribe' (when an official asks for one) and 'offer/pay a bribe' are key legal phrases. Also, 'bribery and corruption' are frequently linked in legal and journalistic contexts.