reimbursement

American  

[ree-im-burs-muhnt] / ˌri ɪmˈbɜrs mənt /

noun

reimbursements plural

1. repayment for an expense or loss incurred.

   Visitors will receive reimbursement for travel and housing expenses.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonreimbursement
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• reimbursements
  plural

Etymology

Origin of reimbursement

reimburse ( def. ) + -ment ( def. )

Explanation

A reimbursement is a repayment for money you've already spent. When you travel for work, you get a reimbursement for your work-related expenses, like hotel bills and plane tickets, but you'll have to pay for that trip to the circus yourself. Reimbursement comes from the Latin root words re, meaning again; in, meaning into; and bursa, meaning purse. So the word reimbursement literally means in a purse again. After your parents' basement flooded, they paid to repair the damage and then got a reimbursement from the insurance company, so that they could put the money they spent in their purse again.

Example Sentences

Reimbursement for COPD, for instance, would fall nearly 20%.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

With several dozen employees and a turnover of around £11m, the company is not afforded the same protections as individual consumers, such as the Financial Ombudsman Service or the Contingent Reimbursement Model code.

From BBC • Oct. 21, 2023

Reimbursement might also apply in circumstances where a person has died or is incapacitated and has a guardian.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 28, 2023

Reimbursement amounts for lawmakers are capped by a daily limit set by the General Services Administration, according to a handbook created by the Administration Committee.

From New York Times • Jan. 12, 2023

Reimbursement to Belgium of all the sums loaned to her by the allied and associated Powers during the War.

From Peaceless Europe by Nitti, Francesco Saverio

Related Words

• payment
• remuneration
• repayment
• restitution