Definify.com

Definition 2024


lubrication_payment

lubrication payment

English

Noun

lubrication payment (plural lubrication payments)

  1. (idiomatic, business, ethics, euphemistic) A bribe or extorted money, usually relatively small in amount, provided to a low-level government official or business person, in order to expedite a business decision, shipment, or other transaction, especially in a country where such payments are not unusual.
    • 1995, Mark E. Mendenhall et al., Global Management, ISBN 9781557866356, p. 145:
      A lubrication payment is a small payment to low-level business people or government officials to "grease the wheels" of business.
    • 2001, Y. H. Wong and Thomas K. Leung, Guanxi: Relationship marketing in a Chinese context, ISBN 9780789012906, p. 105:
      Lubrication payments are made with requests for a person to perform a task faster or more efficiently, whereas subornation is an is an act of asking officials to neglect their duties or do something illegal.

Synonyms

Translations