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

Carl’s Jr. is targeting Burger King with a “Stealing the Crown” promotion offering a free burger to consumers who submit a rival’s receipt or a paper crown.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026

While Congress can condition a state’s receipt of federal funds on compliance with specified conditions, there are limitations to this power.

From Slate ● Sep. 8, 2026

It takes something diffuse — access to a vast collection of things you do not personally have to own — and renders it in the language of a grocery receipt.

From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2026

The IMF said in its statement that it would also require "receipt of the necessary financing assurances from Senegal's partners".

From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026

Ms. Andrews rips off the receipt and holds it out.

From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz

South Korean memory chip maker SK Hynix’s $26.5 billion listing of depository receipts in New York was the largest fundraising of the period, followed by Intel’s $23 billion capital raise in August.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

Corporate tax receipts were coming in far below forecasts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

And while higher inflation means higher interest costs, it also means higher cash tax receipts, at a time when thresholds continue to be frozen.

From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026

All have American depositary receipts traded on U.S. exchanges, meaning you can buy the stocks easily through your brokerage account, and can even own them in a tax-sheltered account such as an IRA.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026

When their children say, “You abandoned me,” they respond by hauling out tall stacks of money transfer receipts.

From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario

Related Words

• certificate
• voucher