Word
bribe
US/ˈbɹaɪb/
UK/bɹˈaɪb/
Definitions
01illegal payment
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Law
n. money or a gift given to someone to make them do something dishonest or illegal.
n. a sum of money or other inducement offered or given to a person in a position of trust to influence their behaviour or decisions.
日本語:賄賂※
“The official was arrested for accepting a bribe from the construction company.”
“The investigation revealed that the contractor had offered a substantial bribe to the planning committee in exchange for expedited approval of the project.”
Usage
Commonly used with the verbs 'offer', 'give', 'take', or 'accept'.
02to give an illegal payment
B2 · Upper Intermediate Law
v. to give someone money or a gift so they will do what you want, even if it is wrong.
v. to persuade someone to act in one's favour, typically illegally or dishonestly, by a gift of money or other inducement.
“They tried to bribe the guard to let them into the building after hours.”
“The corporation was accused of attempting to bribe foreign officials to secure lucrative mining contracts in the region.”
Usage
This is a transitive verb that takes the person being influenced as the direct object.
03to persuade with a small reward
B2 · Upper Intermediate Informal · Humorous
v. to offer someone a small treat or reward to make them do something they do not want to do.
v. to use a minor incentive to persuade someone—often a child—to perform a task or behave in a certain way.
“I had to bribe my son with an ice cream to get him to finish his homework.”
“The parents joked that they had to bribe their toddler with extra screen time just to get through the long flight without a tantrum.”
Teaching tip
While the primary sense is serious and legal, this informal use is very common in family or social contexts to describe harmless persuasion.
Real-World Examples
“Robe LeverAFP via Getty Images Imagine watching a political campaign video in which a candidate admits to taking a bribe.” “The bribes ran into millions of dollars, it said, with hundreds of centres believed to employ about 60,000 people across the country.” Etymology
From Middle English bribe, from Old French briber (“go begging”), from the noun bribe (“a gift”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
Related words
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/bribe
※ 機械で選んだ訳語です。ネイティブスピーカーによる確認はまだです。
「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0