What does "bounty" mean?
Generosity; also (countable) an act of generosity.
Bounty
/ˈbaʊnti/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Generosity; also (countable) an act of generosity.
- Grammar: bounty is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: abundance, aid, alimony, allotment.
- Useful contrasts: dearth, disincentive, penalty.
- Usage evidence: Tom thought that Mary would make a good bounty hunter.
How to use "bounty"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "bounty" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "bounty" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "bounty" as the right word for your sentence.
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Compare nearby meanings
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- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
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Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "bounty" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abundance" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
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Final meaning check
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When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Generosity; also (countable) an act of generosity. uncountable
"[H]is [Henry I, Duke of Guise's] gifts, though conferred for the interest of his ambition, appeared always scattered with an easy bounty."
- 2 (literary) generosity evidenced by a willingness to give freely wordnet
- 3 Something given liberally; a gift. countable
"[...] We have given and granted, and by theſe Preſents for Us, Our Heirs, and Succeſſors, do give and grant unto the ſaid Governors of the Bounty of Queen ANNE, for the Augmentation of the Maintenance of the poor Clergy, hereby conſtituted, and their Succeſſors, all the Revenues of Firſt Fruits and yearly perpetual Tenths of all Dignities, Offices, Benefices, and Promotions Spiritual whatſoever, [...]"
- 4 the property of copious abundance wordnet
- 5 A reward for some specific act, especially one given by an authority or a government. countable
"Let us therefore conſider ſeparately the encouraging of exportation of corn by bounties, the allowing it to be exported without any bounty, and the prohibiting it to be exported at all in certain caſes— [...] It is not for the ſake of the farmer, but for the good of the nation at large, that this bounty [for exporting corn] is granted. The idea is, that it is more adviſeable to have food raiſed at home, than to truſt to other countries for the neceſſaries of life; and the bounty is held out as a temptation to the farmer, to induce him to raiſe at leaſt a ſufficiency of corn."
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 payment or reward (especially from a government) for acts such as catching criminals or killing predatory animals or enlisting in the military wordnet
- 7 A reward for some specific act, especially one given by an authority or a government.; A monetary reward for capturing (or, in the past, killing) a person accused or convicted of a crime and who is at large; also, a similar reward for capturing or killing an animal which is dangerous or causing a nuisance. countable, specifically, uncountable
"Whatever may be said in favor of bounties on the larger beasts of prey, those on hawks, owls, and the smaller fur-bearing animals can not be justified. Payments of this sort should cease, and laws should be enacted to protect species which careful investigations have shown to be mainly beneficial. [...] The payment of bounties on hawks of any kind is open to the objection that officials hardly ever discriminate between the harmful and the useful kinds, even when the statutes do so. [...] The bounty on owls is still more reprehensible, since owls are a more decided check to rodent increase."
- 8 A reward for some specific act, especially one given by an authority or a government.; Money paid to a person when becoming a member of the armed forces, or as a reward for some service therein. countable, historical, uncountable
"It was in the army to which bounties were thus given to privates, that the memorialists were officers; and gallant officers the history of that war amply proves they were. If the soldiers of that army and even the heirs of those who volunteered their services for a given and short period, but who were killed or died in service, had such large recognized claims on the bounty of the nation, it is not, [...] easily to be perceived why their officers, [...] have not claims equally strong."
- 9 An abundance or wealth. countable, figuratively
"The bounty of Texas consists of a state full of rich living and traditions, stretching centuries back to the Indians, through the Spanish, Mexicans, and Anglos, to all the many nationalities that moved in and then spread out through Texas and the Southwest."
Verb
- 1 To offer a monetary reward for the capturing or killing of. transitive
Antonyms
Example
"Tom thought that Mary would make a good bounty hunter."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "bounty"?
Common synonyms include: abundance, aid, alimony, allotment, allowance, amplitude.
How do you use "bounty" in a sentence?
Tom thought that Mary would make a good bounty hunter.
How do you pronounce "bounty"?
Pronounced /ˈbaʊnti/.
Etymology
From Middle English bounte (“goodness, virtue; beauty; strength; chivalry, valour; excellence; kindness, mercy; good deed; generosity”) [and other forms], borrowed from Anglo-Norman bounté and Old French bonté, bontet, bunté (modern French bonté (“goodness, kindness”)), from Latin bonitās.