receipt

American  

[ri-seet] / rɪˈsit /

noun

• receipts
  plural

1. a written acknowledgment of having received, or taken into one's possession, a specified amount of money, goods, etc.

2. receipts, the amount or quantity received.

   Economic austerity diminished the government’s tax receipts.

3. the act of receiving or the state of being received.

   We are in receipt of your letter requesting a copy of the report.

4. something that is received.

5. Slang. receipts, evidence or proof.

   There's no way he's a crook—show me the receipts!

6. Archaic. recipe.

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verb (used with object)

1. to acknowledge in writing the payment of (a bill).

   The check was dated January 9, and the invoice was receipted on January 15.

2. to give a receipt for (money, goods, etc.).

verb (used without object)

1. to give a receipt, as for money or goods.

receipt British  

/ rɪˈsiːt /

noun

1. a written acknowledgment by a receiver of money, goods, etc, that payment or delivery has been made

2. the act of receiving or fact of being received

3. (usually plural) an amount or article received

4. archaic another word for recipe

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verb

1. (tr) to acknowledge payment of (a bill), as by marking it

2. to issue a receipt for (money, goods, etc)

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonreceipt
  noun
• prereceipt
  verb (used with object)
• unreceipted
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• receipts
  plural

Etymology

Origin of receipt

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English receite, receyt, from Anglo-French, from Old French recete, reçoite, recoite or directly from Medieval Latin recepta “money received, receipt, recipe,” feminine past participle of recipere “to receive,” from Latin; see origin at receive

Explanation

You know that slim, white piece of paper the grocery store clerk gives you that lists everything you bought, how much you paid, and the change you received? That's a receipt. A receipt is proof you bought and paid for something. At most stores, you need it if you're going to return what you bought. People collect receipts on business trips, so their employers will pay them back for what they purchased while away. Less commonly, receipt can be used as a verb, as in, "The clerk receipted my purchases," meaning that the clerk gave written proof that the items were paid for.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

receipt receipts

The brokerage views Dixon Technologies’ receipt of regulatory approval for the JV as a meaningful positive.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026

His receipt of the Combat Action Ribbon leaves no doubt of his sacrifice—they do not just hand those out.

From Slate ● Jul. 10, 2026

People experiencing acute financial hardship have to apply for grants and under new government rules have to be paid within 48 hours of a receipt of a completed application.

From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026

City officials confirmed receipt of the claim and said it would be handled through the city’s normal review process.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2026

The girl gave him his cash back, and put the purchase on the card, and then gave him the card receipt and took his cash, then returned the cash and took a different card.

From "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman

“Brand New Day” has now earned $407 million in the U.S. and Canada, with an additional $645.8 million in international box office receipts for a global total of $1.05 billion, according to studio estimates.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026

The Aquatic Center reported $8.6 million in receipts from admissions, merchandise and services in 2024, the most recent year reported on its federal tax filings.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2026

SK Hynix’s American depositary receipts were off 9% after the company’s Korea-listed shares lost 14% in overseas trading.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026

Earlier this month, to much fanfare, the chip maker introduced American depositary receipts to add to its longstanding listing in Korea.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026

I file the receipts away and sort the quotations from least expensive to most, and turn to the stack of bills.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

Related Words

• certificate
• voucher