# bribery

/ˈbɹaɪbɝi/ (US) · /bɹˈaɪbəɹi/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/bribery
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. the act of giving or taking bribes

noun · CEFR B2

the act of giving money or a gift to someone so they will do something for you, usually something dishonest or illegal.

For teachers: the criminal act of offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting any item of value to influence the actions of an official or other person in charge of a public or legal duty.

- The businessman was arrested for bribery after he tried to pay the police officer to ignore his crime.
- The investigation uncovered a systemic culture of bribery within the department, where lucrative contracts were routinely exchanged for undisclosed cash payments.

Usage: Uncountable when referring to the general practice; countable when referring to specific instances or charges.

Teaching tip: Learners often confuse 'bribery' (the crime) with 'bribe' (the gift itself). Use 'bribery' for the concept and 'bribe' for the object.

## Examples

- Bribery is common in some countries.
- The company faced heavy fines after an investigation revealed widespread bribery in its supply chain.
- The scandal exposed a culture of bribery where public officials routinely accepted gifts in exchange for favorable contract awards.

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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.