Meanings
nounbribery (plural briberies)
plural briberies
- The act of giving an illegal payment (a bribe) to a person in an official position as a means of influencing their decisions.
- lawThe activity of offering, giving, or accepting such bribes.
accept bribery
3 more examples
combat bribery
accused of bribery
The official was arrested on charges of bribery.
Synonyms: bribe
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe activity of offering, giving, or accepting such bribes.
Similar
More synonyms by meaning
nounthe practice of offering something (usually money) in order to gain an illicit advantage
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Broader
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Afrikaans omkopery, omkopery
- omkoperymaking of illegal payment to persons in official positions as a means of influencing their decisions
- omkoperygiving, offering or accepting bribes
Arabic رَشْوَة, رشوة
- رَشْوَة (rašwa)making of illegal payment to persons in official positions as a means of influencing their decisions
- رشوةgiving, offering or accepting bribes
Bulgarian подкупване, рушветчийство
- подкупване (podkupvane)making of illegal payment to persons in official positions as a means of influencing their decisions
- рушветчийство (rušvetčijstvo)making of illegal payment to persons in official positions as a means of influencing their decisions
Catalan suborn, subornar
- subornmaking of illegal payment to persons in official positions as a means of influencing their decisions
- subornargiving, offering or accepting bribes
Chinese Mandarin 行賄 /行贿, 受賄 /受贿
- 行賄 /行贿 (xínghuì)making of illegal payment to persons in official positions as a means of influencing their decisions
- 受賄 /受贿 (shòuhuì)giving, offering or accepting bribes
Czech úplatkářství
- úplatkářstvímaking of illegal payment to persons in official positions as a means of influencing their decisions
Danish bestikkelse, bestikkelse
- bestikkelsemaking of illegal payment to persons in official positions as a means of influencing their decisions
- bestikkelsegiving, offering or accepting bribes
Dutch omkoperij, omkoping
- omkoperijmaking of illegal payment to persons in official positions as a means of influencing their decisions
- omkopingmaking of illegal payment to persons in official positions as a means of influencing their decisions
Esperanto subaĉetado
- subaĉetadomaking of illegal payment to persons in official positions as a means of influencing their decisions
Finnish lahjonta, lahjonta
- lahjontamaking of illegal payment to persons in official positions as a means of influencing their decisions
- lahjontagiving, offering or accepting bribes
- lahjuksen ottaminengiving, offering or accepting bribes
French corruption
- corruptionmaking of illegal payment to persons in official positions as a means of influencing their decisions
German Bestechung
- Bestechungmaking of illegal payment to persons in official positions as a means of influencing their decisions
Greek δωροδοκία, δωροδοκία
- δωροδοκία (dorodokía)making of illegal payment to persons in official positions as a means of influencing their decisions
- δωροδοκία (dorodokía)giving, offering or accepting bribes
- δωροληψία (dorolipsía)giving, offering or accepting bribes
Hebrew שיחוד
- שיחוד (shikhud)making of illegal payment to persons in official positions as a means of influencing their decisions
Hungarian megvesztegetés, vesztegetés
- megvesztegetésmaking of illegal payment to persons in official positions as a means of influencing their decisions
- vesztegetésgiving, offering or accepting bribes
Indonesian penyuapan, penyogokan
- penyuapanmaking of illegal payment to persons in official positions as a means of influencing their decisions
- penyogokanmaking of illegal payment to persons in official positions as a means of influencing their decisions
- gratifikasigiving, offering or accepting bribes
- penyuapangiving, offering or accepting bribes
Irish breabaireacht, breabaireacht
- breabaireachtmaking of illegal payment to persons in official positions as a means of influencing their decisions
- breabaireachtgiving, offering or accepting bribes
Italian concussione, corruzione
- concussionemaking of illegal payment to persons in official positions as a means of influencing their decisions
- corruzionemaking of illegal payment to persons in official positions as a means of influencing their decisions
- corruzionegiving, offering or accepting bribes
- concussionegiving, offering or accepting bribes
Japanese 賄賂のやり取り, 賄賂
- 賄賂のやり取り (wáiro no yarítori)making of illegal payment to persons in official positions as a means of influencing their decisions
- 賄賂 (wairo)making of illegal payment to persons in official positions as a means of influencing their decisions
- 収賄 (shūwai)giving, offering or accepting bribes
Korean 증회, 뇌물
- 증회 (jeunghoe)making of illegal payment to persons in official positions as a means of influencing their decisions
- 뇌물 (noemul)making of illegal payment to persons in official positions as a means of influencing their decisions
- 증수회 (jeungsuhoe)giving, offering or accepting bribes
Latin largitio
- largitiomaking of illegal payment to persons in official positions as a means of influencing their decisions
Malay rasuah
- rasuahmaking of illegal payment to persons in official positions as a means of influencing their decisions
Māori utu whakapati, utu whakapati
- utu whakapatimaking of illegal payment to persons in official positions as a means of influencing their decisions
- utu whakapatigiving, offering or accepting bribes
Polish łapówkarstwo, łapownictwo
- łapówkarstwomaking of illegal payment to persons in official positions as a means of influencing their decisions
- łapownictwomaking of illegal payment to persons in official positions as a means of influencing their decisions
Portuguese suborno
- subornomaking of illegal payment to persons in official positions as a means of influencing their decisions
Romanian dare de mită, luare de mită
- dare de mităgiving, offering or accepting bribes
- luare de mităgiving, offering or accepting bribes
Russian взя́точничество
- взя́точничество (vzjátočničestvo)making of illegal payment to persons in official positions as a means of influencing their decisions
Slovak úplatkárstvo
- úplatkárstvomaking of illegal payment to persons in official positions as a means of influencing their decisions
Spanish soborno, cohecho
- sobornomaking of illegal payment to persons in official positions as a means of influencing their decisions
- cohechomaking of illegal payment to persons in official positions as a means of influencing their decisions
- sobornaciónmaking of illegal payment to persons in official positions as a means of influencing their decisions
- convolutomaking of illegal payment to persons in official positions as a means of influencing their decisions
- sobornogiving, offering or accepting bribes
- cohechogiving, offering or accepting bribes
- sobornacióngiving, offering or accepting bribes
- convolutogiving, offering or accepting bribes
Swedish bestickning, mutning
- bestickningmaking of illegal payment to persons in official positions as a means of influencing their decisions
- mutningmaking of illegal payment to persons in official positions as a means of influencing their decisions
- bestickninggiving, offering or accepting bribes
- mutbrottgiving, offering or accepting bribes
Thai อามิสสินจ้าง
- อามิสสินจ้าง (aamít sĭn jâang)making of illegal payment to persons in official positions as a means of influencing their decisions
Turkish rüşvet
- rüşvetmaking of illegal payment to persons in official positions as a means of influencing their decisions
Vietnamese sự đút lót, sự hối lộ
- sự đút lótmaking of illegal payment to persons in official positions as a means of influencing their decisions
- sự hối lộmaking of illegal payment to persons in official positions as a means of influencing their decisions
- sự mua chuộcmaking of illegal payment to persons in official positions as a means of influencing their decisions
- sự ăn hối lộgiving, offering or accepting bribes
Welsh llwgrwobrwyaeth
- llwgrwobrwyaethmaking of illegal payment to persons in official positions as a means of influencing their decisions
Cite this entry
APA
bribery. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bribery
MLA
“bribery.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bribery. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bribery,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bribery.
Source: bribery on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.