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

Tui has apologised and told passengers it has arranged flights home for tomorrow and a full refund.

From BBC • Jun. 30, 2026

That expected tariff refund also boosted Nike’s gross margins.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 30, 2026

Nike’s profit and gross margins were buoyed by a tariff refund.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 30, 2026

However, those figures can only be rough estimates, given that nearly all retailers have declined to quantify their tariff refund impact.

From Barron's • Jun. 25, 2026

Please send in this quiz for a full refund for any chickens or chicken supplies you may have ordered; your lessons are at an end.

From "Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer" by Kelly Jones

Related Words

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