pots-de-vin

bribes

noun poh-duh-VAN Rare

Usage Note

Pots-de-vin is the plural of pot-de-vin, literally 'pot of wine' — a historical allusion to covert gifts. It always appears in contexts of corruption and illegal payment. The singular un pot-de-vin is a bribe. Offering or accepting pots-de-vin is a criminal offence under French law (corruption active/passive).

Examples

"L'enquête a révélé des pots-de-vin versés aux élus."

Natural Translation

The investigation revealed bribes paid to elected officials.

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