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Glite Dictionary
to suborn a public official

to suborn a public official

9.9
To bribe a public official to make them do something illegal or dishonest
  • phrasal verb
  • Formal
translation icon : subornar a un funcionario público
  • The company tried to suborn a public official to gain an advantage.

Examples

  • He was found guilty of conspiracy to suborn a public official in the procurement process.

  • The defense attorney was convicted because he tried to suborn a public official during the investigation.

  • Anyone who attempts to suborn a public official can face serious legal consequences.

  • Don't suborn a public official!

  • Anyone who attempts to suborn a public official can face serious legal consequences.

  • The defense attorney was convicted because he tried to suborn a public official during the investigation.

  • He was found guilty of conspiracy to suborn a public official in the procurement process.

Synonyms

to bribe
vsto suborn a public official
140 4.1

Give money or gifts to a person in authority to make them do something dishonest

focuses on inducing someone who works for the state rather than any authority
to corrupt
vsto suborn a public official
125 4.5

To make someone act dishonestly, often by giving them money

focuses on inducing someone who works for the state to commit unlawful acts for gain

Antonyms

to uphold
176 4.4

To support and keep a law, decision, or belief in effect

How Persuasive

to suborn a public official
  • Formal
9.9
to bribe
140 4.1
to induce
51 4.9
to persuade
472 2.7
to ask
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

suborn a public official infinitive
suborned a public official past
suborned a public official past participle
suborning a public official present participle
suborns a public official third person singular

Morphology

suborn + a + public + official

The verb 'suborn' already encodes the meaning 'to induce someone to act unlawfully,' and combining it with the clearly interpretable noun phrase 'a public official' yields the intended meaning directly. Although 'suborn' is formal and infrequent, if a learner knows the constituent words the phrase is compositionally transparent and easily understood.

Etymology

Suborn a public official comes from the image of secretly making a government worker act wrongly; suborn means secret pressure or payment and public official is a government worker. Imagine slipping money 'under the table' so the official will lie or break the rules, so it means 'to bribe or persuade an official to do something illegal'.