redeem
Americanverb (used with object)
-
redeems,
present (3rd person singular)
-
redeemed,
past participle, past
-
redeeming
present participle
-
to make up for; make amends for; offset (some fault, shortcoming, etc.).
His bravery redeemed his youthful idleness.
- Synonyms:
- compensate, counterbalance
-
to exchange (bonds, trading stamps, coupons, points, etc.) for money or goods.
I redeemed 25,000 points for a free night’s stay at the hotel.
This coupon can be redeemed at any grocery store.
-
to buy or pay off; clear by payment.
to redeem a mortgage.
-
to buy back, as after a tax sale or a mortgage foreclosure.
- Synonyms:
- repurchase, regain, reclaim
-
to recover (something pledged or mortgaged) by payment or other satisfaction.
to redeem a pawned watch.
- Synonyms:
- repurchase, regain, reclaim
-
to obtain the release or restoration of, such as from captivity, by paying a ransom.
-
Christianity. to deliver from sin and its consequences by means of a sacrifice offered for the sinner.
-
to convert (paper money) into coins.
-
to discharge or fulfill (a pledge, promise, etc.).
verb
-
to recover possession or ownership of by payment of a price or service; regain
-
to convert (bonds, shares, etc) into cash
-
to pay off (a promissory note, loan, etc)
-
to recover (something pledged, mortgaged, or pawned)
-
to convert (paper money) into bullion or specie
-
to fulfil (a promise, pledge, etc)
-
to exchange (trading stamps, coupons, etc) for goods
-
to reinstate in someone's estimation or good opinion; restore to favour
he redeemed himself by his altruistic action
-
to make amends for
-
to recover from captivity, esp by a money payment
-
Christianity (of Christ as Saviour) to free (mankind) from sin by his death on the Cross
Synonym Usage
Redeem, ransom both mean to buy back. Redeem is wider in its application than ransom, and means to buy back, regain possession of, or exchange for money, goods, etc.: to redeem one's property. To ransom is to redeem a person from captivity by paying a stipulated price, or to redeem from sin by sacrifice: to ransom a kidnapped child.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
redeemsimple
-
redeemssimple
-
have redeemedperfect
-
has redeemedperfect
-
am redeemingprogressive
-
are redeemingprogressive
-
is redeemingprogressive
-
have been redeemingperfect progressive
-
has been redeemingperfect progressive
Past
-
redeemedsimple
-
had redeemedperfect
-
was redeemingprogressive
-
were redeemingprogressive
-
had been redeemingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of redeem
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English redemen, from Middle French redimer, from Latin redimere, equivalent to red- red- + -imere, combining form of emere “to purchase” ( cf. emptor, ransom)
Explanation
If you redeem yourself, you make up for wrongs by doing something that makes you seem good again, like when after being irritable and snappy with your grandmother, you redeem yourself by bringing her flowers and apologizing. Redeem comes from the French rédimer, which means "to deliver," and which in turn comes from the Latin for "buy back." In Christianity you can be redeemed by renouncing your sins. Classic heroes fail and then redeem themselves with valiant acts. But redeem doesn't have to be religious or moral. When you turn in a glass bottle for recycling, you redeem it, just as you redeem your coupon for 20% off your next hamburger.
Vocabulary lists containing redeem
List 1
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Hamilton
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"Ad Power," "Without Commercials," and "What's Wrong with Advertising"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
She added it was "far too soon for him to try and redeem himself".
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
You can also redeem Amtrak loyalty points for a visit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
I didn’t realize that optimizing my travel points meant picking up a new hobby: constantly comparing prices on travel portals, which is where you redeem your credit-card points for plane tickets, hotels and experiences.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
Following the termination of the agreement, Getty said it will redeem its 10.5% senior secured notes due 2030.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
Even then, Negroes were ready to redeem their lives for their long overdue inheritance.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
That means that the amount it redeems on June 10 may be less than $30.52 million.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 2, 2026
And so the evening concludes with an explosion of emotion that redeems its flaws, and sends us reeling, shaken, into the night.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 26, 2026
Under these arrangements, companies or brokers buy forest land to preserve it, so that by absorbing carbon from the atmosphere the land redeems or "offsets" the planet-warming emissions produced by firms' other activities.
From Barron's ● Feb. 26, 2026
“Shadow Ticket’s” structure turns the current film adaptation of “Vineland” inside out — that would be “One Battle After Another,” whose thrilling middle more than redeems an only slightly off-key beginning and end.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2025
The story of the Twelve Brothers, whom their sister redeems by seven years of silence at the peril of her own life, is another instance of tenderest sisterly devotion combined with self-control.
From The Moral Instruction of Children by Felix Adler
It begins in vulnerability—a future cold day, redeemed by tonight’s memory—and ends in a plea that the beloved change nothing, prizing acceptance over perfection.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Consumer finance expert Sue Hayward says the most generous freebies don't last particularly long and have to be redeemed on your birthday, within the week or sometimes within the month.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
In that way, I feel creatively redeemed on some level, just in my own journey between me, myself and I. But I feel ready to move on from the ‘Blade’ questions.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
The famous Buddhist Angulimala Sutta tells a story of a serial killer who is redeemed by the Buddha and becomes a righteous monk.
From Slate ● Jul. 10, 2026
It was too stark, not redeemed, not made real with the reality that was the warm blood of life.
From "Native Son" by Richard Wright
It’s a fun concept—the machine taking on pesky tasks that offer no redeeming mental value—but there’s an important group standing in Big Tech’s way: Big Tech.
From Slate ● Sep. 23, 2026
Another redeeming aspect of El Niño: Scientists know where it is likely to strike.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
The only redeeming aspect of the show happens here, on a ski slope, when their youngest daughter Valentina, who was born with Down syndrome, is treated to a lesson via an adaptive ski school.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
Gift card redemptions for fuel retailers are rising, the company said, and from January to March, Fetch saw a 20% lift in consumers redeeming fuel-related offers in the app.
From Barron's ● May 13, 2026
If there’s anything redeeming about my mother that Aibileen left out of the letter, I want to know.
From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett
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.
