Bonus

/ˈboʊnəs/

nounBeginner📊CommonFinance
1 meaning1 idiom/phrase1 question

Definitions

1

An extra payment or reward given in addition to regular remuneration.

/ˈboʊnəs/

nounpositiveBeginner
Finance

An extra payment or reward beyond regular salary.

She received a Christmas bonus.

💡 Simply: Extra money or gift.

More Examples

2

The bonus helped her pay off her debts.

How It's Used

Business

"The company announced year-end bonuses for its employees."

Finance

"The investment yielded a substantial bonus."

Idioms & expressions

bonus points

Extra points awarded for exceeding expectations or accomplishing something extra.

"He earned bonus points for completing the project ahead of schedule."

From Latin *bonus* "good, excellent". Initially referred to something extra or advantageous, evolving to its modern meaning of an extra payment.

The word 'bonus' has shifted from a general sense of 'good' to its current financial connotation over time.

Memory tip

Think of it as a 'good' thing (from Latin 'bonus') – extra money!

Word Origin

LanguageLatin
Original meaning

"good, excellent"

Base: bonus
bonus paymentyear-end bonusperformance bonussign-on bonus

Common misspellings

bonousbonnus

Usage

40%Spoken
60%Written