How to say "bribery" in Japanese

• 贈収賄ぞうしゅうわいCommon
  nounThe umbrella term: bribery as a whole, covering both the giving and the taking of bribes. A typical context is news coverage of political bribery scandals.
  彼かれは贈収賄ぞうしゅうわいを軽蔑けいべつした。↗

  He disdained bribery.
• 汚職おしょくCommon
  noun, suru verb, intransitive verbBroader than bribery proper: corrupt conduct, especially by government employees, with bribery and graft among its forms. Choose it when the emphasis falls on corruption in general rather than the act of bribing.
  そのプロジェクトの責任者せきにんしゃであったジェイソンが、汚職おしょくに手てを染そめた理由りゆうで解任かいにんされた。↗

  Jason, who was in charge of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
• 贈賄ぞうわいCommon
  noun, suru verb, intransitive verbSpecifically the giving side of bribery: offering or handing over a bribe. Use it when you mean the briber's act rather than the receiving side.
  これはある国くにではいわゆる「贈り物おくりもの」で、他たの国くにでは「贈賄ぞうわい」である。↗

  This is what is called a 'present' in some countries and 'bribery' in others.
• 買収ばいしゅうCommon
  noun, suru verb, transitive verbIt highlights the payer's act of buying someone over with money, so choose it when that buying-off nuance matters; 贈収賄 names the offense itself.
  彼かれらはその証人しょうにんを買収ばいしゅうしようとしたがだめだった。↗

  They attempted in vain to bribe the witness.

贈収賄 is the umbrella term for bribery as a whole; 贈賄 means specifically giving a bribe; 汚職 means corruption, especially by government employees, of which bribery is one part; 買収 stresses buying someone off.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 贈収賄ぞうしゅうわいbribery
• 汚職おしょくcorruption (esp. by a government employee)
• 贈賄ぞうわいgiving a bribe
• 涜職とくしょくcorruption (esp. by a government employee)
• 受託収賄罪じゅたくしゅうわいざい(the crime of) bribery
• 収賄罪しゅうわいざい(the crime of) bribery
• 賄賂罪わいろざい(crime of) bribery
• 買収ばいしゅうbribery
• 黄白こうはくbribery