return
Americanverb (used without object)
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returns,
present (3rd person singular)
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returned,
past participle, past
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returning
present participle
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to go or come back, as to a former place, position, or state: to return to public office;
to return from abroad;
to return to public office;
to return to work.
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to revert to a former owner.
The money I gave him returns to me in the event of his death.
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to revert or recur, as in thought, discourse, etc..
He returned to his story.
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to make a reply or retort.
She returned with a witty sally.
verb (used with object)
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returns,
present (3rd person singular)
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returned,
past participle, past
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returning
present participle
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to put, bring, take, give, or send back to the original place, position, etc.: to return a child to her mother;
to return a book to a shelf;
to return a child to her mother;
to return the switch to off position.
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to send or give back in reciprocation, recompense, or requital.
to return evil for good.
- Synonyms:
- exchange
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to reciprocate, repay, or react to (something sent, given, done, etc.) with something similar: to return a favor.
to return the enemy's fire;
to return a favor.
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Law.
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to give to a judge or official (a statement or a writ of actions done).
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to render (a verdict, decision, etc.).
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to reflect (light, sound, etc.).
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to yield (a profit, revenue, etc.), as in return for labor, expenditure, or investment.
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to report or announce officially.
to return a list of members.
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to elect, as to a legislative body.
The voters returned him to office by a landslide.
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Military. to put (a weapon) back into its holder.
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Cards. to respond to (a suit led) by a similar lead.
She returned diamonds.
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to turn back or in the reverse direction, as a served ball in tennis.
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Chiefly Architecture. to cause to turn or proceed in a different direction from the previous line of direction; reverse.
to return a cornice at each end of a façade.
noun
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returns
plural
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the act or fact of returning as by going or coming back or bringing, sending, or giving back.
the return of the Jews from the Diaspora;
We should appreciate your return of the book immediately.
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a recurrence.
the return of the moon each month.
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reciprocation, repayment, or requital.
profits in return for outlay.
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response or reply.
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a person or thing that is returned.
returns of mill goods.
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the gain realized on an exchange of goods.
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Often returns a yield or profit, as from labor, land, business, or investment.
He received a quick return on his money.
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Usually returns an official or unofficial report on a count of votes, candidates elected, etc..
election returns.
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Chiefly British. return ticket.
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Architecture.
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the continuation of a molding, projection, etc., in a different direction.
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a side or part that falls away from the front of any straight or flat member or area.
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a tablelike extension attached at a right angle to a desk at typing height, for holding a typewriter, computer, etc.
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a key or lever on a typewriter or other business machine that returns the carriage to the extreme right, or the typing element to the extreme left, for the beginning of a new line.
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Computers. carriage return2
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Sports.
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the act of returning a ball.
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the ball that is returned.
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Football. a runback of a kick, intercepted pass, or fumble recovery.
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Economics. yield per unit as compared to the cost per unit involved in a specific industrial process.
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Law.
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the bringing or sending back of various documents, such as a writ, summons, or subpoena, with a brief written report usually endorsed upon it, by a sheriff, to the court from which it issued.
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a certified document by a great variety of officers, as assessors, collectors, and election officers.
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the report or certificate endorsed in such documents.
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Cards. a lead that responds to a partner's lead.
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Theater. a flat or drapery parallel to the tormentor for masking the offstage area and often completing the downstage part of a set.
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returns,
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merchandise shipped back to a supplier from a retailer or distributor as unsold or unsalable.
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merchandise returned to a retailer by a consumer.
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adjective
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of or relating to a return or returning.
a return trip.
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sent, given, or done in return.
a return shot.
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done or occurring again.
a return engagement of the opera.
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noting a person or thing that is returned or returning to a place.
return cargo.
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changing in direction; doubling or returning on itself.
a return twist in a road.
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used for returning, recirculating, etc.: a return pipe.
the return road;
a return pipe.
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(of a game) played in order to provide the loser of an earlier game with the opportunity to win from the same opponent.
return match.
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adequate, necessary, or provided to enable the return of a mailed package or letter to its sender: return address;
return postage guaranteed;
return address;
return envelope.
verb
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(intr) to come back to a former place or state
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(tr) to give, take, or carry back; replace or restore
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(tr) to repay or recompense, esp with something of equivalent value
return the compliment
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(tr) to earn or yield (profit or interest) as an income from an investment or venture
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(intr) to come back or revert in thought or speech
I'll return to that later
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(intr) to recur or reappear
the symptoms have returned
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to answer or reply
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(tr) to vote into office; elect
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(tr) law (of a jury) to deliver or render (a verdict)
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(tr) to send back or reflect (light or sound)
the canyon returned my shout
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(tr) to submit (a report, etc) about (someone or something) to someone in authority
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(tr) cards to lead back (the suit led by one's partner)
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(tr) ball games to hit, throw, or play (a ball) back
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(tr) architect to turn (a part, decorative moulding, etc) away from its original direction
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(of Christians) to say grace before a meal
noun
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the act or an instance of coming back
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something that is given or sent back, esp unsatisfactory merchandise returned to the maker or supplier or a theatre ticket sent back by a purchaser for resale
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the act or an instance of putting, sending, or carrying back; replacement or restoration
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(often plural) the yield, revenue, or profit accruing from an investment, transaction, or venture
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the act or an instance of reciprocation or repayment (esp in the phrase in return for )
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a recurrence or reappearance
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an official report, esp of the financial condition of a company
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a form (a tax return ) on which a statement concerning one's taxable income is made
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the statement itself
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(often plural) a statement of the votes counted at an election or poll
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an answer or reply
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short for return ticket
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informal a second helping of food served at a table
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architect
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a part of a building that forms an angle with the façade
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any part of an architectural feature that forms an angle with the main part
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law a report by a bailiff or other officer on the outcome of a formal document such as a claim, summons, etc, issued by a court
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cards a lead of a card in the suit that one's partner has previously led
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ball games the act of playing or throwing a ball back
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by the next post back to the sender
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a conventional greeting to someone on his or her birthday
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the point at which a person's commitment is irrevocable
adjective
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of, relating to, or characterized by a return
a return visit
a return performance
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denoting a second, reciprocated occasion
a return match
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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returnsimple
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returnssimple
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have returnedperfect
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has returnedperfect
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am returningprogressive
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are returningprogressive
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is returningprogressive
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have been returningperfect progressive
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has been returningperfect progressive
Past
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returnedsimple
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had returnedperfect
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was returningprogressive
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were returningprogressive
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had been returningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of return
First recorded in 1275–1325; (verb) Middle English retornen, from Middle French retorner, returner, Old French ( see re-, turn); (noun) Middle English, from Anglo-French retorn, return, derivative of Old French retorner, returner; (adjective) derivative of the noun
Explanation
When you return, you go back somewhere after being away. If you haven't been to Disney World since your fifth birthday, it might be fun to return when you're older. There are many ways to return — you can come back to a place, state, or activity, the way you return to jogging after getting a drink, or return to a feeling of sadness after brief cheer. You also might return something to someone else: "I need to return the book she loaned me," or "He returns her smile across the crowded room." A return can be a comment, a lobbed tennis ball, or even a financial profit.
Vocabulary lists containing return
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Chaparral’s ability to quickly regrow has made such a quick fire return interval commonplace in the Santa Monica Mountains.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
"Hopefully it rains soon, the fires go out, and the smoke disappears so that activities can return to normal and it’s easier to earn a living again," he said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026
Together, those companies have made up around 39% of the index’s 14.1% return through Oct.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
She said the GMCA's loan scheme had been successful in building more homes in the city and generating a return on that investment.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
Nine had tried to shield him from this mess, and Clare felt he owed the rat honesty in return.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
Borrowing the classic language of stagecraft, an effective illusion relies on three parts: the setup, the extraordinary turn and the final reveal that returns the situation to normal.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 17, 2026
PepsiCo PEP 2.42%increase; up pointing triangle used to embody everything investors prized in a stock: dependable brands, reliable earnings growth and steady returns.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026
If you claim at 64 and invest the benefits, the break-even point versus waiting until age 67 depends on your benefit, returns, capital-gains taxes, dividends, and how long you live.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
Apart from an erosion of market power and more distant customer relationships, purchase mistakes could lead to higher merchandise returns or credit-card chargebacks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
Even when Mrs. Krajewska returns and we have to go back to being quiet again.
From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron
Once the coronagraph's focus had been optimized, engineers returned to the Wide Field Instrument for another round of adjustments.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 17, 2026
Every five or 15 minutes, another pager returned to the host stand, blinking and vibrating in the hands of a customer whose table was finally ready.
From Salon ● Oct. 17, 2026
After a week searching for Luna, her owners returned to California empty-handed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
"After the operation, the Pope awoke normally and returned after a brief period of observation to his room," it said earlier, before he spent a "peaceful night" at the hospital.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
They returned my stares with wide-eyed interest; I noticed, however, that the adults did not look at us but turned their heads away as we approached.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Since getting traded as a rookie and returning when the transaction was rescinded, the 17th overall pick in the 2024 draft has never carved out a steady role with the Lakers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
That’s part of what makes “Hurricane Seasons,” an intimate new independent film about a Puerto Rican family returning home, feel so timely.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
Some POWs contacted him after returning home, offering military secrets for cash.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
Kartal, 24, missed more than six months with a stress fracture in her back, but has won five of her seven matches since returning to action.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
“Here we are,” Auntie North said, returning with a tray full of delicacies— little cakes and colorful cookies.
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
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