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bribe Meaning & Definition

/bɹaɪb/

What Does Bribe Mean?

Bribe is used as a noun meaning Something (usually money) given in exchange for influence or as an inducement to breaking the law. It is also used to mean The act of offering or paying such a payment: an act of bribery. As a verb, it means To give a bribe to; specifically, to ask a person to do something against their original will, in exchange for some type of reward or relief from potential trouble. As a verb, it means To give a bribe to; specifically, to ask a person to do something, usually against his/her will, in exchange for some type of reward or relief from potential trouble.

Quick Facts About Bribe

Part of speechnoun, verb
Pronunciation//bɹaɪb//
Syllables1
Synonymscorrupt, payoff and buy
Pluralbribes
Verb formsbribes, bribing, bribed

Bribe Definition (Noun)

  1. Something (usually money) given in exchange for influence or as an inducement to breaking the law.
  2. The act of offering or paying such a payment: an act of bribery.
  3. That which seduces; seduction; allurement.

Bribe as a Verb

  1. To give a bribe to; specifically, to ask a person to do something against their original will, in exchange for some type of reward or relief from potential trouble.

    She was accused of trying to bribe the jury into making false statements.

  2. To gain by a bribe; to induce as by a bribe.

    to bribe somebody's compliance

Noun

  1. Something (usually money) given in exchange for influence or as an inducement to dishonesty.

Verb

  1. To give a bribe to; specifically, to ask a person to do something, usually against his/her will, in exchange for some type of reward or relief from potential trouble.

    She was accused of trying to bribe the jury into making false statements.

Synonyms of Bribe

Bribe synonyms and antonyms →

Antonyms of Bribe

No antonyms or near antonyms are listed by the available sources for this entry.

Bribe in a Sentence

She was accused of trying to bribe the jury into making false statements.

to bribe somebody's compliance

Word Forms & Grammar

bribe (plural bribes)

bribe (third-person singular simple present bribes, present participle bribing, simple past and past participle bribed)

Words That Rhyme With Bribe

Origin of Bribe

From Middle English bribe, from Old French briber (“go begging”), from the noun bribe (“a gift”).

Pronouncing Bribe

The standard pronunciation of bribe is //bɹaɪb//, spoken in 1 syllable.

Bribe: Your Questions Answered

Is bribe a noun or a verb?

Bribe is mainly used as a noun, but it can also be used as a verb.

What is another word for bribe?

You can replace bribe with words such as corrupt, payoff and buy. See the full list of bribe synonyms and antonyms.

What is the plural of bribe?

The plural of bribe is bribes.

What is the past tense of bribe?

The past tense of bribe is bribed. The present participle is bribing.

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