# bonus

/ˈboʊnəs/ (US) · /bˈəʊnəs/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/bonus
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. extra money

noun · CEFR B1

extra money that you are paid by your employer, usually for doing a good job.

For teachers: a sum of money added to a person's wages as a reward for good performance or as a share of profits.

- The company gave every employee a small bonus at the end of the year.
- The executive board approved a performance-based bonus for the sales department after they exceeded their quarterly targets by twenty percent.

Usage: Usually a countable noun; often used with the verbs 'pay', 'receive', or 'award'.

### 2. added benefit

noun · CEFR B1

something extra that is good or helpful, but not expected.

For teachers: an additional advantage or benefit that is incidental to the main purpose.

- The hotel was cheap, and the free breakfast was a nice bonus.
- While the primary goal of the project was efficiency, the reduction in carbon emissions served as a significant environmental bonus.

Usage: Often used in the phrase 'an added bonus'.

### 3. extra points

noun · CEFR B2

extra points given to a player or team for doing something well in a game.

For teachers: an addition to a player's or team's score based on specific achievements or performance metrics.

- You get a ten-point bonus if you finish the level in under two minutes.
- The striker earned a goal-scoring bonus in his contract, which triggered automatically after his fifteenth successful strike of the season.

### 4. to pay extra

verb · CEFR C2 · Formal · Technical

to give someone extra money as a reward.

For teachers: to provide a person or entity with a premium or supplementary payment.

- The firm decided to bonus the staff after a very successful merger.
- The contract specifies that the agency will bonus the consultants only upon the successful completion of the final audit phase.

Usage: This transitive verb use is less common than the noun form and is typically found in corporate or legal contexts.

## Examples

- The company gives every employee a small Christmas bonus.
- The sales team received a significant bonus after exceeding their annual targets by twenty percent.
- While the salary itself was competitive, the generous annual bonus and the comprehensive health insurance package made the offer impossible to refuse.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.