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

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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

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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 issuance will refund $97 billion of notes maturing on Nov. 15 and raise $28 billion in new cash.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 4, 2026

In the second quarter of this year, the firm reported net profits of 386 million euros, helped by a refund from US tariffs later struck down by the US Supreme Court.

From Barron's ● Nov. 3, 2026

After speaking to Watchdog, she received a full refund.

From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026

In July 2024, Jauregui was still waiting for his tax refund for businesses that suffered from Covid-19 shutdowns.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026

Send in this quiz for a full refund, and go get yourself a library card instead.

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

OnBuy told us it had offered affected customers refunds and initiated a recall of the product our analysis identified as containing cadmium.

From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026

A slug of the unit’s adjusted operating income came from tariff refunds.

From Barron's ● Nov. 3, 2026

Gross margin for the September quarter was 47.9%, down from June-quarter levels even when factoring in the impact of tariff refunds.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 3, 2026

Home Depot doesn’t guarantee refunds, though it issues some on a case-by-case basis.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 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

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Related Words

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

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