What does bribable mean?
"Bribable" is an adjective describing someone who is capable of being bribed — that is, someone whose honesty or duty can be bought with money or favors. It applies chiefly to people entrusted with public responsibility, such as officials, judges, customs agents, and referees, and it carries an unambiguously negative connotation: to call a person bribable is to accuse them of a fundamental lack of integrity. The word appears most often in journalism, legal analysis, and discussions of corruption, frequently in phrases like "highly bribable" or "bribable officials." Its antonym "incorruptible" highlights the contrast between those whose principles hold firm and those whose loyalty has a price. Though relatively uncommon compared to related terms such as "corrupt" or "venal," bribable is useful precisely because it names susceptibility rather than completed wrongdoing — it describes a vulnerability that exists before any actual bribe changes hands.
adjectiveCapable of being bribed; susceptible to corruption through the offering or acceptance of a bribe.
- Of a person or institution: susceptible to being persuaded to act dishonestly by a bribe.
"The investigation revealed that several customs officers had been all too bribable."
"The tribunal found that the referee was bribable and had accepted payments before key matches."
"No system is safe when its inspectors are bribable."
A single bribable border guard can undo an entire nation's anti-smuggling policy — which is why 'bribable' is one of the most damning adjectives in political journalism.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of bribable
"Bribable" is formed from the verb "bribe," combined with the suffix "-able." The verb "bribe" entered English in the late Middle Ages from Old French "briber," meaning to beg or pilfer, and its sense shifted over the centuries from petty theft to the buying and selling of influence. The adjective "bribable" arose later by straightforward English word-formation, following the same pattern as other verbs taking "-able." Its relatives include "bribery" and "bribing," all tracing back to that same Old French root.
How bribable is actually used
The word is formal to neutral in register and carries strongly negative connotations, implying a lack of integrity rather than mere temptation. It is most common in journalism, legal writing, and commentary on public institutions, typically applied to officials, judges, police, or anyone in a position of trust.