As a noun, money or a gift given to persuade someone to do something dishonest or illegal; as a verb, to offer such a payment.
From Old French “bribe,” meaning “bit, piece of bread, or alms.” It shifted from a small gift to a corrupt payment meant to influence behavior.
A bribe began as a little scrap of food given to the poor, then twisted into a secret payment to the powerful. That dark flip—from charity to corruption—shows how the same act of giving can live on opposite sides of morality.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.