repatriate

American  

[ree-pey-tree-eyt, ree-pey-tree-it] / riˈpeɪ triˌeɪt, riˈpeɪ tri ɪt /

verb (used with object)

repatriated, repatriating

1. to bring or send back (a person, especially a prisoner of war, a refugee, etc.) to their country or land of citizenship.

2. to send (profits or other assets) back to one's own country.

3. to restore to a country that has attained sovereignty something that was formerly held or administered on that country’s behalf by a colonial power.

   In 1982, the Trudeau government repatriated Canada's constitution from Britain.

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verb (used without object)

repatriated, repatriating

1. to return to one's own country.

   to repatriate after 20 years abroad.

noun

1. a person who has been repatriated.

repatriate British  

verb

1. to send back (a refugee, prisoner of war, etc) to the country of his birth or citizenship

2. to send back (a sum of money previously invested abroad) to its country of origin

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noun

1. a person who has been repatriated

Other Word Forms

• nonrepatriable
  adjective
• repatriable
  adjective
• repatriation
  noun
• unrepatriated
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of repatriate

First recorded in 1605–15; from Late Latin repatriātus (past participle of repatriāre “to return to one's fatherland”), equivalent to Latin re- “again, back” + patri(a) “native country” (noun use of feminine of patrius “paternal,” derivative of pater “father”) + -ātus past participle suffix; see re-, father, -ate ¹

Explanation

When a country repatriates people, they are usually refugees who are being sent back to their homeland, often against their wishes. It is possible for a person to repatriate himself, choosing to return to a country he's left for political or economic reasons, but the verb repatriate is more often used to mean "send refugees home." It might sound like a modern political term, but repatriate has been used since the 1600s. It comes from the Latin word repatriare, "return to one's own country," from the prefix re, "back," and patria, "native land."

Example Sentences

The larger cohort left the camp in February but returned for "technical reasons" with the Australian government refusing to officially repatriate them.

From BBC • May 5, 2026

Dutch authorities will attempt to repatriate two sick people from a cruise ship battling a suspected outbreak of hantavirus that has already claimed three lives, the vessel's operator said Monday.

From Barron's • May 4, 2026

"Our priority is to get her out of this detention center and repatriate her to France. Given her health, she won't last a month in such conditions of detention," he said.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

Da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” was stolen in 1911 by an Italian employee of the Louvre who wanted to repatriate the masterpiece.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

My identity card said Resettler, indicating that Germany had allowed me to repatriate from Lithuania.

From "Salt to the Sea" by Ruta Sepetys