bribe

English

Etymology

From Old French briber (“go begging”).

Pronunciation

• enPR: brīb, IPA^(key): /bɹaɪb/
• Rhymes: -aɪb

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

bribe (plural bribes)

1. Something (usually money) given in exchange for influence or as an inducement to breaking the law.
   • c. 1613-1625, Henry Hobart, Yardly v. Ellill

     Undue reward for anything against justice is a bribe.

2. That which seduces; seduction; allurement.
   • 1744, Mark Akenside, The Pleasures of the Imagination:

     Not the bribes of sordid wealth can seduce to leave these everblooming sweets.

   • 1974, George Fox, Mario Puzo, Earthquake:

     Remy, this was a bribe! Our whole marriage has been nothing but a series of bribes!

Synonyms

• See Thesaurus:bribe

Derived terms

• bribeless
• bribeproof
• bribetaking

Translations

Verb

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

1. (transitive) To give a bribe to; specifically, to ask a person to do something against his/her 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.

   • October 23, 1848, Frederick William Robertson, an address delivered at the Opening of The Working Men's Institute

     Neither is he worthy who bribes a man to vote against his conscience.

2. (transitive) To gain by a bribe; to induce as by a bribe.

   to bribe somebody's compliance

Derived terms

Translations

Anagrams

• ribbe

French

Etymology

Imitative. (Can this⁽⁺⁾ etymology be sourced?)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bʁib/

• Audio

  (file)

• Audio (CAN)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ib

Noun

bribe f (plural bribes)

1. (obsolete) crumb (of bread)
2. scrap, bit

Further reading

• “bribe”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé , 2012.