kickback
KIK-bak
/ˈkɪk.bæk/
An illegal payment made to someone who has facilitated a transaction or contract, typically as a bribe.
A specific payment 'returned' from an inflated contract award back to the official who approved it.
The story behind the word. A 1920s American slang compound of 'kick' and 'back', visualizing money that rebounds back into the pocket of the person who kicked the deal forward.
Word relationships
- rebate (illicit): Rebate is legal when transparent, but a hidden illegal rebate is a kickback.
- sweetener: Informal term for an incentive, which may or may not be illegal.
- transparent discount: A legitimate, officially recorded reduction in price.
Commonly confused with
- bribe: A bribe can be paid before or during a deal; a kickback is specifically paid back after contract funds are disbursed.
Word family
- kick back (verb): To pay an illegal kickback (or informally, to relax).
Collocations
- receive a kickback
- illegal kickback
- kickback scheme
- kickback allegations
Idioms & expressions
- under-the-table payment
Example sentences
- "The contractor offered a ten percent kickback to the purchasing manager for approving inflated invoices." Procurement Fraud
- "Federal laws strictly prohibit doctors from accepting a kickback for prescribing specific brand-name medications." Healthcare Compliance
Memory hook
You grant a contract, and money KICKS BACK to your pocket. Money rebounding back to the buyer.
When not to use
Do not confuse with a legitimate commission, rebate, or discount.
Fun facts
- The Anti-Kickback Act of 1986 in the US specifically penalizes sub-contractors paying government prime contractors for favorable treatment.
Explore more words
bribery, Rebate, double-cross, backstab, defraud, whistleblower
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