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

The one-off tariff refund also added around 1 percentage point to adjusted earnings before interest, taxes and amortization margin guidance, she adds.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

Whilst the remainder of this refund will be paid out in the third quarter, the company is still facing the customs duties most recently imposed by the US president.

From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026

However, in the connected care segment, sales growth missed and its diagnosis and treatment unit margin underperformed—-on exclusion of the tariff refund benefit, says Webster.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

Georgia said she has not been able to secure a refund from her accommodation operator because the fire had not yet reached Lacanau at the time of cancellation.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

I wonder if she ever wished she could get a refund for me.

From "Out of My Mind" by Sharon M. Draper

Most imports are eligible for refunds during this phase.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

GCE Live said its ticket agents should offer refunds "with a reasonable period".

From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026

These penalties include collection activity, wage garnishment, seized tax refunds, a poor credit score that will make it difficult to get loans, and even the entire balance becoming due.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026

And no, you won’t get any refunds for that either.

From Slate ● Jul. 7, 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