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

He contacted Ticketmaster and asked for a refund for tickets he has to Sheeran's November show in Tampa, Florida.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

While there is paperwork and complicated refund formulas, you are entitled to something for involuntary downgrades and shouldn’t let airlines off the hook.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026

Alternatively, passengers can take a refund, which should also be offered for flight delays of more than five hours.

From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026

A few are getting warnings that they won’t get a refund on their next return.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 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

"If the organisation accepts that something went wrong, why not offer affected participants refunds, credits, or some meaningful form of compensation?" he wrote.

From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026

The White House said it will begin issuing the refunds next month to people in the 30 states that use Healthcare.gov.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026

Instead, they are at home ringing round for refunds that won't be paid.

From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026

The company received $196 million in tariff refunds, which benefited second-quarter results and are included in its new guidance.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026

He made arrangements for the sale of his office equipment, broke his lease, and settled the matter of refunds to clients very simply by saying, “Let ’em sue me.”

From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith

Related Words

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