el soborno
bribe
Es cuando alguien ofrece dinero, regalos o favores a otra persona para que haga algo injusto o ilegal a su favor.
Definition & meaning
Soborno is a noun meaning bribe or bribery: money, a gift, or another benefit offered or given to someone—usually a public official or person in a position of authority—in order to influence their behavior or obtain an unfair or illegal advantage.
It can refer to:
- The payment or benefit itself: El funcionario aceptó un soborno. — “The official accepted a bribe.”
- The act or practice of bribing: El soborno es un delito en muchos países. — “Bribery is a crime in many countries.”
It is a masculine noun: el soborno, los sobornos.
Grammar & word origin
Soborno comes from the verb sobornar , “to bribe.” It is formed with the noun-forming suffix -o, which is common in Spanish.
Related forms include:
- sobornar — to bribe
- sobornado — bribed
- sobornador — briber; someone who bribes
- sobornable — corruptible; susceptible to bribery
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonyms
- cohecho — bribery, especially in a legal or official context; more formal and commonly used for corruption involving public officials.
- coima — bribe; common in several Latin American countries.
- mordida — “cut” or bribe, especially an unofficial payment to a police officer or public official; colloquial and regional.
- corrupción — corruption; broader than soborno, since it can include bribery, abuse of power, embezzlement, and other dishonest practices.
- dádiva — gift or benefit; it is more general and does not necessarily imply bribery, although it can have that meaning in legal contexts.
Antonyms
There is no exact opposite for soborno, but contextually related opposites include:
Common phrases & collocations
- aceptar un soborno — to accept a bribe
- ofrecer un soborno — to offer a bribe
- pagar un soborno — to pay a bribe
- recibir un soborno — to receive a bribe
- dar un soborno — to give a bribe
- denunciar un soborno — to report or denounce a bribe
- soborno policial — police bribery
- soborno electoral — electoral bribery
- caso de soborno — bribery case
- intento de soborno — attempted bribery
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Examples
El funcionario fue acusado de aceptar un soborno.noun
The official was accused of accepting a bribe.
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