Bribery

n. giving of money or favors to influence or corrupt another's conduct

Bribery is a crime implying a sum or gift given that alters the behavior of the person in ways not consistent with the duties of that person. It is defined by Black's Law Dictionary as the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions as an official or other person in discharge of a public or legal duty. The bribe is the gift bestowed to influence the receiver's conduct. It may be any money, good, right in action, property, preferment, privilege, emolument, object of value, advantage, or any promise or undertaking to induce or influence the action, vote, or influence of a person in an official or public capacity.
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Noun
1. the practice of offering something (usually money) in order to gain an illicit advantage
(synonym) graft
(hypernym) felony
(hyponym) commercial bribery
(derivation) bribe, corrupt, buy, grease one's palms

(n.)
The act or practice of giving or taking bribes; the act of influencing the official or political action of another by corrupt inducements.
  

(n.)
Robbery; extortion.
  

BRIBE - The gift or promise which is accepted of some advantage as the inducement for some illegal act or omission; or of some illegal emolument as a consideration for preferring one person to another in the performance of a legal act.

BRIBERY - The receiving or offering any undue reward by or to any person whomsoever, whose ordinary profession or business relates to the administration of public justice, in order to influence his behaviour in office and to incline him to act contrary to his duty and the known rules of honesty and integrity.

The term bribery extends now further and includes the offence of giving a bribe to many other officers. The offence of the giver and of the receiver of the bribe has the same name. For the sake of distinction, that of the former, viz: the briber, might be properly denominated active bribery; while that of the latter, viz: the person bribed, might be called passive bribery.

Bribery at elections for members of parliament has always been a crime at common law and punishable by indictment or information. It still remains so in England notwithstanding the stat. To constitute the offence, it is not necessary that the person bribed should, in fact, vote as solicited to do or even that he should have a right to vote at all both are entirely immaterial.

An attempt to bribe, though unsuccessful, has been holden to be criminal and the offender may be indicted.
   

This entry contains material from Bouvier's Legal Dictionary, a work published in the 1850's.