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

For salaried workers who already exceed 40 hours a week but were declared exempt from overtime receipt, employers could agree to stop asking for overtime exemptions in exchange for lower base pay.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 4, 2026

Mr. Popper signed the receipt and examined the box.

From "Mr. Popper's Penguins" by Florence Atwater and Richard Atwater

To disappoint investors just a few weeks after its $29 billion listing of depositary receipts on Nasdaq demonstrated poor “communication and messaging,” he wrote.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026

But valuations are hard to compare; ADRs are literally receipts for the stocks listed elsewhere, offering a direct comparison.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026

At the same time, Burnham has pledged to respect the strict fiscal discipline seen under his predecessor Keir Starmer, whereby the government balances tax receipts with day-to-day state spending.

From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026

At Tuesday’s closing price of $193.92, the recently issued American depositary receipts of SK Hynix were commanding a 38% premium to Wednesday’s closing price of its local shares listed in Seoul.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026

They weren’t client files; they were for family, stuff like birth certificates and house insurance and life insurance and repair bills and receipts for major items like our refrigerator and television and washing machine.

From "It All Comes Down to This" by Karen English

Related Words

• certificate
• voucher