Bribemonger

/ˈbraɪbˌmʌŋɡər/ noun

Definition

A person who deals in bribes or facilitates bribery; someone who trades in corrupt payments.

Etymology

Combines 'bribe' with '-monger' (a person who deals in something, from Old English 'mangere' meaning merchant). Emerged in 16th-17th century English to describe corrupt officials and their intermediaries.

Kelly Says

Like 'fishmonger' sells fish and 'scaremonger' spreads fear, a bribemonger is a merchant of corruption—they're the middlemen of dishonesty. The word fell out of use partly because English came to prefer more direct accusations like 'corrupt official.'

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.