suborn
definition
to persuade someone to commit an unlawful act, typically by bribery
example
The criminal mastermind attempted to suborn a public official to facilitate the illegal deal.
synonyms
instigateinducebribe
word origin — The word 'suborn' comes from the Latin 'subornare', meaning 'to secretly furnish, to incite or induce.' It combines 'sub-', meaning 'under,' and 'ornare', meaning 'to equip or furnish.'