: something in addition to what is expected or strictly due: such as
a
: money or an equivalent given in addition to an employee's usual compensation
b
: a premium (as of stock) given by a corporation to a purchaser of its securities, to a promoter, or to an employee
c
: a government payment to war veterans
d
: a sum in excess of salary given to an athlete for signing with a team
Examples of bonus in a Sentence
As a bonus for good behavior you can stay up late.
The product has the added bonus of providing extra vitamins.
Staff members were given a bonus for finishing the project on schedule.
The company offered bonuses to entice new workers.
We receive annual bonuses at the end of the year.
Recent Examples on the Web
As a bonus, macroscopes can also be aesthetically pleasing and fun to experience.
—
Big Think, 27 Oct. 2025
To attract recruits, ICE is offering several incentives, including signing bonuses of up to $50,000 and student loan repayment programs.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
No box spring needed and there’s bonus storage space underneath.
—Nora Colomer
May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2025
Instead of flipping the bonus tools out of the knife handle, tying them on an accompanying lanyard, or integrating them into the sheath, KEA designs a hexagonal wheel multitool out of the lanyard attachment point at the base of the handle.
—New Atlas, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bonus
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Big Think, 27 Oct. 2025
To attract recruits, ICE is offering several incentives, including signing bonuses of up to $50,000 and student loan repayment programs.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
No box spring needed and there’s bonus storage space underneath.
—Nora Colomer
May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2025
Instead of flipping the bonus tools out of the knife handle, tying them on an accompanying lanyard, or integrating them into the sheath, KEA designs a hexagonal wheel multitool out of the lanyard attachment point at the base of the handle.
—New Atlas, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bonus
Cite this Entry
“Bonus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bonus. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bonus
noun
bo·nus
ˈbō-nəs 
: something given to somebody (as a worker) in addition to what is usual or owed
Etymology
from Latin bonus "good" — related to bona fide, bonbon, boon entry 2, bounty
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