Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1900-2000
Origin: Probably from payoff

payola

 noun
     
Related topics: Business Basics
pay‧o‧la [uncountable] informal especially American English
1BB the illegal practice of paying someone to use their influence to make people buy what your company is selling
2 the money that is paid to someone to use their influence
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

Dictionary pictures of the day
Do you know what each of these is called?
What is the word for picture 1? What is the word for picture 2? What is the word for picture 3? What is the word for picture 4?
Click on any of the pictures above to find out what it is called.

Explore our topic dictionary

Browse the dictionary