cohecho

bribery

noun koh-EH-choh Rare

Origin: From Old Spanish cohechar, from Latin confectare ('to prepare, to suborn').

Usage Note

Cohecho is the legal Spanish term for bribery of a public official, making it more specific than soborno (general bribery of anyone). It is always masculine and belongs firmly to legal and journalistic registers. Spanish criminal law distinguishes cohecho activo (offering a bribe) from cohecho pasivo (accepting one). In everyday speech soborno is the word a learner is more likely to encounter.

Examples

"El funcionario fue acusado de cohecho."

Natural Translation

The official was accused of bribery.

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