recoup
Americanverb (used with object)
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to get back the equivalent of.
to recoup one's losses by a lucky investment.
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to regain or recover.
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to reimburse or indemnify; pay back.
to recoup a person for expenses.
- Synonyms:
- remunerate, recompense
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Law. to withhold (a portion of something due), having some rightful claim to do so.
verb (used without object)
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to get back an equivalent, as of something lost.
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Law. (of a defendant in a lawsuit) to plead that one is owed, in the same matter, an amount by the plaintiff which applies against the payment of one’s own debt to the plaintiff.
noun
verb
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to regain or make good (a financial or other loss)
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(tr) to reimburse or compensate (someone), as for a loss
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law to keep back (something due), having rightful claim to do so; withhold; deduct
Other Word Forms
- nonrecoupable adjective
- recoupable adjective
- recoupment noun
- unrecoupable adjective
Etymology
Origin of recoup
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Middle French recouper “to cut back, cut again,” equivalent to re- re- ( def. ) + couper “to cut”; coup 1 ( def. )
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.
Either could offer a catalyst for gold to recoup some of the gains it has returned year to date.
From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026
Power companies that have to upgrade grids to meet data centers’ energy demands sometimes seek to recoup that cost by hiking up rates for all consumers.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 23, 2026
Both are trying to recoup billions they are still owed.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 15, 2026
This may not be enough time to recoup their investment, especially since they would have to pay hefty taxes and transactions costs upon selling a home.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026
After a few weeks, to recoup his losses, he went up to ten bucks.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
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.
