reward

[ri-wawrd]

noun

1. a sum of money offered for the detection or capture of a criminal, the recovery of lost or stolen property, etc.

2. something given or received in return or recompense for service, merit, hardship, etc.

   Synonyms: bonus, premium, bounty, requital, remuneration, pay, desert

verb (used with object)

1. to recompense or requite (a person or animal) for service, merit, achievement, etc.

   Synonyms: remunerate, pay, compensate

2. to make return for or requite (service, merit, etc.); recompense.

reward

/ rɪˈwɔːd /

noun

1. something given or received in return for a deed or service rendered

2. a sum of money offered, esp for help in finding a criminal or for the return of lost or stolen property

3. profit or return

4. something received in return for good or evil; deserts

5. psychol any pleasant event that follows a response and therefore increases the likelihood of the response recurring in the future

verb

1. (tr) to give (something) to (someone), esp in gratitude for a service rendered; recompense

Other Word Forms

• rewardable adjective
• rewardableness noun
• rewardably adverb
• rewarder noun
• rewardless adjective
• misreward verb (used with object)
• overreward verb
• superreward verb (used with object)
• unrewardable adjective
• unrewarded adjective
• well-rewarded adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of reward¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English (verb) rewarden originally, “to regard,” from Old North French rewarder “to look at,” variant of Old French reguarder; regard

Word History and Origins

Origin of reward¹

C14: from Old Norman French rewarder to regard, from _re- + warder to care for, guard, of Germanic origin; see _ward

Synonym Study

Reward, prize, recompense imply something given in return for good. A reward is something given or done in return for good (or, more rarely, evil) received; it may refer to something abstract or concrete: a $50 reward; Virtue is its own reward. Prize refers to something concrete offered as a reward of merit, or to be contested for and given to the winner: to win a prize for an essay. A recompense is something given or done, whether as reward or punishment, for acts performed, services rendered, etc.; or it may be something given in compensation for loss or injury suffered, etc.: Renown was his principal recompense for years of hard work.

Example Sentences

A rebalanced structure would share the rewards more evenly across the pyramid - helping small clubs survive and thrive, not just aim to fill the highlights reel once a year.

Read more on BBC

All the while, the duo were richly rewarded by Epstein.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

So obviously, we had to grind it out and apply as much pressure as we could to get the rewards from it.

Read more on Barron's

"St Mirren make it real difficult for you. The boys are working so hard. I'm so glad we got the reward we wanted."

Read more on Barron's

But in the post-qualifying news conference, it seemed he was already weighing the question of risk versus reward, with Verstappen, renowned for his aggressive approach to starts, alongside him with much less to lose.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• award 
• benefit 
• bonus 
• bounty 
• compensation 
• dividend 
• honorarium 
• premium 
• profit 
• remuneration