soudoyer

Definition & meaning

The verb soudoyer primarily means to bribe someone. It refers to the act of giving money, gifts, or other advantages to a person—often someone in a position of authority, a witness, or an official—in order to persuade them to act in one's favor, typically in an illegal or unethical manner.

While the modern usage almost exclusively implies a corrupt transaction, a secondary or historical meaning refers to paying or maintaining someone, such as a mercenary or an agent, to keep them in one's service.

Grammar & Word origin

Grammar: Soudoyer is a regular verb of the first group (ending in -er). In its conjugation, the "y" changes to an "i" when followed by a silent "e" (for example: je soudoie, ils soudoient).

Word Origin: The word is derived from the Old French solde, which refers to the pay or salary given to a soldier. Historically, a soudoier was a mercenary who fought for pay. The root is the Latin word solidus, which was a gold coin used in the Roman Empire. Over time, the meaning shifted from the legitimate payment of a soldier to the secretive and dishonest payment of an individual for a favor.

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms:

• corrompre↗: To corrupt or pervert someone's integrity.
• acheter↗: Literally "to buy," used figuratively to mean buying someone's loyalty or silence.
• suborner↗: Often used in legal contexts, specifically for bribing witnesses (suborner un témoin).
• arroser↗: A colloquial term meaning "to water," used to describe the act of distributing money to gain influence.
• graisser la patte[?](vocabuo://word/graisser la patte): An idiomatic expression meaning "to grease the paw," equivalent to the English "to grease someone's palm."

Antonyms:

• récompenser↗: To reward someone legally or morally for their merit or hard work.
• honorer↗: To respect or give credit to someone based on their integrity.