refund

¹ American  

[ri-fuhnd, ree-fuhnd, ree-fuhnd] / rɪˈfʌnd, ˈri fʌnd, ˈri fʌnd /

verb (used with object)

1. to give back or restore (especially money); repay.

2. to make repayment to; reimburse.

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verb (used without object)

1. to make repayment.

noun

• refunds
  plural

1. an act or instance of refunding.

2. an amount refunded.

refund ² American  

[ree-fuhnd] / riˈfʌnd /

verb (used with object)

1. to fund anew.

2. Finance.

   1. to meet (a matured debt structure) by new borrowing, especially through issuance of bonds.

   2. to replace (an old issue) with a new one.

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refund British  

verb

1. to give back (money), as when an article purchased is unsatisfactory

2. to reimburse (a person)

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noun

1. return of money to a purchaser or the amount so returned

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonrefundability
  noun
• refundability
  noun
• refunder
  noun
• refundment
  noun
• nonrefundable
  adjective
• refundable
  adjective
• unrefundable
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• refunds
  plural

Etymology

Origin of refund¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English verb refunden “to export, transmit,” from Old French refonder, refunder “to reimburse” and Latin refundere “to pour back,” equivalent to re- re- + fundere “to pour”; see found ³

Origin of refund²

First recorded in 1855–60; re- + fund

Explanation

To refund is to give money back, especially when someone isn't satisfied with an item they bought or the service they got. If you complain that your restaurant food is undercooked, the manager may refund your money. When you don't actually get what you paid for, you deserve a refund, or a repayment of the money you spent. Most businesses will refund money to unhappy customers, and when you return something — like a pair of pants that doesn't fit — you'll also get a refund. The verb came before the noun, and it originally meant "to pour back," from the Latin root fundere, "to pour."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

refund refunds

On Feb. 26, 2026, someone requested a refund after purchasing $500 tickets to a Demon Hunter show in Albany, N.Y., believing it was for a KPop Demon Hunters concert, according to the suit.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

But they didn't respond when asked whether I would get a refund if the crossing was not successful.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

"Do not consume the eggs. You should throw your eggs away or return them to your retailer for a full refund."

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

There are no refunds if someone dislikes their options—they can only get their money back if they request a refund before submitting the initial form to Mystery Vacations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

But I guess this was his last resort—a confession, and a full refund.

From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri

FedEx has already received about $800 million in refunds, but has booked $749 million as liabilities owed back to customers whose tariff payments it can trace.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 22, 2026

Walmart also lowered some prices in the quarter, using some of the windfall of its $2.9 billion in tariff refunds.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

Retailers are receiving refunds from central government after those tariffs were ruled unlawful.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

The giant US retailer steered much of the benefit from US tariff refunds towards investments to attract inflation-strapped customers, who faced gasoline prices above $4 a gallon for much of the quarter.

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

I’m sure there will be paperwork to do and refunds to get from Saint Augustine’s.

From "P.S. I Miss You" by Jen Petro-Roy

Related Words

• allowance
• compensation
• discount
• kickback
• payment
• rebate
• reimbursement
• repayment
• restitution