repatriate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
repatriates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
repatriated,
past participle, past
-
repatriating
present participle
-
to bring or send back (a person, especially a prisoner of war, a refugee, etc.) to their country or land of citizenship.
-
to send (profits or other assets) back to one's own country.
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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.
verb (used without object)
-
repatriates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
repatriated,
past participle, past
-
repatriating
present participle
noun
verb
-
to send back (a refugee, prisoner of war, etc) to the country of his birth or citizenship
-
to send back (a sum of money previously invested abroad) to its country of origin
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
repatriatesimple
-
repatriatessimple
-
have repatriatedperfect
-
has repatriatedperfect
-
am repatriatingprogressive
-
are repatriatingprogressive
-
is repatriatingprogressive
-
have been repatriatingperfect progressive
-
has been repatriatingperfect progressive
Past
-
repatriatedsimple
-
had repatriatedperfect
-
was repatriatingprogressive
-
were repatriatingprogressive
-
had been repatriatingperfect progressive
Future
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."
Vocabulary lists containing repatriate
Not Your Father's Word List: Pater, Patr
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"The Latehomecomer," Vocabulary from the memoir excerpt
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Salt to the Sea
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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:
Indonesian authorities are working to repatriate five baby orangutans allegedly trafficked to India, where they were found motherless in a forest, Jakarta's forestry ministry told AFP Friday.
From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026
Its daily direct flights, large Iranian diaspora and unique financial ecosystem allow the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to procure goods and repatriate revenue.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
“Fifty percent of our population is Venezuelan, and our ability to repatriate them has been extremely limited,” said Dawnisha Helland, ICE’s acting assistant director of enforcement and removal.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
But if Japan were to make substantive changes to how its pension funds invest and repatriate their overseas holdings, the effects would be much more significant and long-lasting.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
“When they got to Germany, they were going to process papers for us to try to repatriate as well.”
From "Between Shades of Gray" by Ruta Sepetys
From Agadez, the U.N. migration agency repatriates them to their countries of origin with the financial help of the European Union.
From New York Times ● Jan. 23, 2024
Plus, Robert Egan leaves the vaunted OPC, and the Getty repatriates works, in our weekly arts newsletter.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 2, 2024
"India has very robust child protection laws and if the German court repatriates her, she can be looked after in India," she said.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2023
Like other major export manufacturers, it benefits from a cheaper yen when it repatriates profits earned overseas.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 2, 2023
Then suddenly came the announcement: “Japanese repatriates will begin disembarking beginning with R through V.”
From "A Place to Belong" by Cynthia Kadohata
Myanmar says it has repatriated around 8,000 citizens by air and 1,500 by sea so far this year, while Malaysia announced it is preparing 3,500 more to go back.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
Diane Wolfe does not believe the vigango need to be repatriated, but she distinguished that from her willingness to see portions of the broader collection return to Africa.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
Historically, companies have repatriated around 60% of their foreign-affiliate earnings on average, they note.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026
Additionally, the prospect of repatriated capital could bolster the yen, which has seen USD/JPY rise above 163, an exchange rate not seen since 1986.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
Once she was well and Dasch was repatriated, Rose Marie knew that she was to follow him.
From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple
Releasing updated figures on Tuesday, Zimbabwe's cabinet said 108,366 of its people had come home as of July 18, a majority of them self repatriating.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
Ghana, Malawi and Nigeria are among the African countries that have been repatriating some of their citizens seeking to escape violence and intimidation in South Africa ahead of the deadline.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
Sri Lankan officials said they have not begun discussions on repatriating the Bushehr crew and those rescued from Dena, but they will be treated in line with Colombo’s treaty obligations.
From Barron's ● Mar. 13, 2026
Emirates, Etihad and Flydubai are operating an increasing number of ad hoc flights aimed at moving cargo and repatriating passengers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 5, 2026
He was either critical of the Nazi Party, critical of me for repatriating, or both.
From "Salt to the Sea" by Ruta Sepetys
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