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:
It isn’t just Chambliss, whose return has Ole Miss at 10th in the preseason coach’s poll.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
If interest from Italy stacks up financially, it would seem to make sense for the former Bologna man to return to Serie A.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
In Torres del Limonar, a Cali residential complex that collapsed in Monday's earthquake, people pick through rubble to recover victims' belongings and return them to grieving families.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
In return for its commitment, Nvidia will be the exclusive chip provider for the first half of the Ohio site and take an equity stake in SB Energy, the people said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
“I was just leaving,” I tell her, and receive a small nod of approval in return.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
Much of this is due to the returns for the S&P 500.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026
He returns with another nomination, this time for Tate McRae’s MTV VMAs performance.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
But the S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100 are weighted by market value, and outsize gains from a handful of superstar companies continue to drive returns.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
Simon Belsham, Hargreaves Lansdown's chief client officer, says doing nothing might be easy but "often leads to poor returns".
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
Alfredo returns home at dusk, carrying stalks of sugarcane and a sack of corn for the pig.
From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar
It was the energised and impactful version of Bryan Mbeumo from the first half of last season that has been on view, rather than the tired one that returned from Africa Cup of Nations duty.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
With these gains under his belt, Kim has so far spurned all of Trump’s diplomatic overtures since the president returned to the White House.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
He was accepted as a Thiel fellow in 2020 and never returned.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
Steiner returned for opening day in 2025, but he wore down and left midway through the game.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
She bit off about an ounce and returned the plug to her apron pocket.
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
There are no real signs of any hot spells or heatwaves returning.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
“Hotel Exile” also relates the extraordinary transformation of the hotel into a center for those returning from concentration camps.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
He travelled with his children but upon seeing the chaos at the border, he took them home before returning again to swim across on his own.
From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026
More than a month after returning to the Continental Divide Trail, my mom came down with a severe stomach virus, which my father caught a few days later.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026
They decided to split up, with Rio and Kat returning to the hotel to let Monty know what was happening, while Paris led Sydney and Brooklyn down below.
From "City Spies" by James Ponti
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
