Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. Something, such as money or a favor, offered or given to a person in a position of trust to influence that person's views or conduct.
- n. Something serving to influence or persuade.
- v. To give, offer, or promise a bribe to.
- v. To give, offer, or promise bribes.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. A gift begged; a present.
- n. A gift or gratuity bestowed for the purpose of influencing the action or conduct of the receiver; especially, money or any valuable consideration given or promised for the betrayal of a trust or the corrupt performance of an allotted duty, as to a fiduciary agent, a judge, legislator, or other public officer, a witness, a voter, etc.
- n. Anything that seduces: as, the bribes offered by glory or power.
- To steal.
- To give or promise a reward or consideration to for acting contrary to desire or duty; induce to a certain course of action by the gift or offer of something of value; gain over or corrupt by a bribe.
- To steal.
- To practise bribery; give a bribe to a person.
Wiktionary
- n. Something (usually money) given in exchange for influence or as an inducement to dishonesty.
- v. To give a bribe to.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. A gift begged; a present.
- n. A price, reward, gift, or favor bestowed or promised with a view to prevent the judgment or corrupt the conduct of a judge, witness, voter, or other person in a position of trust.
- n. That which seduces; seduction; allurement.
- v. To rob or steal.
- v. To give or promise a reward or consideration to (a judge, juror, legislator, voter, or other person in a position of trust) with a view to prevent the judgment or corrupt the conduct; to induce or influence by a bribe; to give a bribe to.
- v. To gain by a bribe; of induce as by a bribe.
- v. To commit robbery or theft.
- v. To give a bribe to a person; to pervert the judgment or corrupt the action of a person in a position of trust, by some gift or promise.
WordNet 3.0
- v. make illegal payments to in exchange for favors or influence
- n. payment made to a person in a position of trust to corrupt his judgment
Etymologies
- Middle English, from Old French, piece of bread given as alms.
Examples
“Whether a reward conferred for obedience shall operate as a bribe, or rather as a price paid -- for a _bribe_, strictly speaking, is a price paid, not for doing right, but for doing wrong -- depends sometimes on very slight differences in the management of the particular case -- differences which an undiscriminating mother will not be very ready to appreciate.”
“Prosecutors said the defendants knew they were breaking the law when they agreed to pay the $1.5 million "commission" to the official, even if the word "bribe" wasn't mentioned.”
The Wall Street Journal: Jury Clears Two Businessmen in 'Sting' Case on Bribery
“A bribe is a bribe is a bribe is a political payoff!”
“Kurtzer, who was an Obama adviser during the elections, said it was a mistake to offer Israel what he called a bribe for a mere three-month suspension of settlement activities.”
The Huffington Post: Daoud Kuttab: 2010 Was a Year of Mixed Blessings for Palestinians
“This guy actually made what he called a bribe list on a napkin.”
“A spokesperson for Mr. Farkas said, Mr. Paladino's allegation that Andrew Farkas, or any Farkas-related entity, ever paid Andrew Cuomo a 'bribe' is a pure fabrication.”
The Wall Street Journal: Buffalo Native Makes It a Street Fight
“Not reporting to the IRS the $96,000 in bribe/hush money.”
Think Progress » San Francisco Commonwealth Club postpones O’Keefe event.
“An elected public servant who takes a bribe is undermining our democratic institutions.”
“Nelson received $45 million in bribe money for his State to swing his vote doesn't anyone else find this criminal and IMPEACHABLE?”
“But, that's not good enough for them, so they're spending $1.4 million a day (of their insureds premiums) to "lobby" (I call it bribe) Congress.”
Obama's former doctor critical of White House health care plan
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘bribe’.
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Courtroom Speak
Legal glossary with special focus on courtroom vocabulary
writ of execution, writ of certiorari, witness, waiver, warrant, voir dire, victim witness as..., writ, victim compensati..., verdict, venue, victim advocate and 792 more...
bilby "Covetousness in such Men prompts them to prostitute the Publick for Gain.
The taking of a Bribe or Gratuity, should be punished with as severe Penalties, as the defrauding of the State.
Let Men have sufficient Salaries, and exceed them at their Peril."
- William Penn, 'Fruits of Solitude'.
Interestingly, this comes under the sub-heading Clean Hands. Sep 8, 2009