redeem
Americanverb (used with object)
-
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.
Play as Superman’s cousin, Kara Zor-El, while the game’s credits roll, zapping the names of developers with her laser vision as they scroll past to score extra points you can redeem in the SuperShop.
From Salon • Jun. 27, 2026
A Thursday morning letter to shareholders of the $23 billion Ares Strategic Income Fund said that investors holding 14.4% of its shares sought to redeem in the June quarter.
From Barron's • Jun. 25, 2026
Investors asked to redeem about 16.8% of their shares from Apollo’s flagship retail-focused private-credit fund in the second quarter, according to a Monday filing.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 24, 2026
Individual investors requested to redeem about $12 billion from four large private-credit funds in the second quarter, up from $7.7 billion the previous quarter.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 18, 2026
It might redeem her enough in the eyes of the law that she'd be forgiven for the other bad things she'd done that night.
From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat
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.
