bo ‧ nus S2 /ˈbəʊnəs $ ˈboʊ-/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1700-1800 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: 'good' ]
1 . money added to someone’s wages, especially as a reward for good work:
Long-term savers qualify for a cash bonus.
Further additions to your pay may take the form of bonus payments.
a Christmas bonus
Each worker receives an annual bonus.
a £20,000 bonus
2 . something good that you did not expect in a situation
bonus for
Britain’s possession of North Sea oil has proved a bonus for British technology.
He promised to take me to the match, with the added bonus of an afternoon off school.
3 . no-claims bonus British English a reduction in the cost of your car insurance when you do not make a ↑ claim in a particular year
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ income money that you receive from working, investments etc:
families on a low income
▪ salary the pay that professional people such as teachers or lawyers earn every year:
a salary of $65,000 a year
▪ wages the pay that someone earns every hour or every week:
Her wages barely cover the rent.
▪ bonus money added to someone’s pay, as a reward for good work or as a reward when the company does well:
The company pays an attendance bonus – if you go 30 days without being late or absent, you get the bonus.
▪ earnings all the money that you earn by working:
In a good year, a bonus can double an executive’s earnings.