remit

American  

[ri-mit, ree-mit] / rɪˈmɪt, ˈri mɪt /

verb (used with object)

• remits,
  present (3rd person singular)
• remitted,
  past participle,  past
• remitting
  present participle

1. to transmit or send (money, a check, etc.) to a person or place, usually in payment.

   Synonyms:

   forward

   Antonyms:

   retain

2. to refrain from inflicting or enforcing, as a punishment, sentence, etc.

3. to refrain from exacting, as a payment or service.

4. to pardon or forgive (a sin, offense, etc.).

   Synonyms:

   overlook, excuse

   Antonyms:

   condemn

5. to slacken; abate; relax.

   to remit watchfulness.

   Synonyms:

   diminish

   Antonyms:

   increase

6. to give back.

   to remit an overpayment.

   Synonyms:

   restore, return

7. Law. to send back (a case) to an inferior court for further action.

8. to put back into a previous position or condition.

9. to put off; postpone; defer.

10. Obsolete. to set free; release.

11. Obsolete. to send back to prison or custody.

12. Obsolete. to give up; surrender.

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verb (used without object)

• remits,
  present (3rd person singular)
• remitted,
  past participle,  past
• remitting
  present participle

1. to transmit money, a check, etc., as in payment.

2. to abate for a time or at intervals, as a fever.

3. to slacken; abate.

noun

• remits
  plural

1. Law. a transfer of the record of an action from one tribunal to another, particularly from an appellate court to the court of original jurisdiction.

2. something remitted, as for further deliberation or action.

3. the act of remitting.

4. Chiefly British. the area of authority of a person or group.

remit British  

verb

1. (also intr) to send (money, payment, etc), as for goods or service, esp by post

2. law (esp of an appeal court) to send back (a case or proceeding) to an inferior court for further consideration or action

3. to cancel or refrain from exacting (a penalty or punishment)

4. (also intr) to relax (pace, intensity, etc) or (of pace or the like) to slacken or abate

5. to postpone; defer

6. archaic to pardon or forgive (crime, sins, etc)

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noun

1. the area of authority or responsibility of an individual or a group

   by taking that action, the committee has exceeded its remit

2. law the transfer of a case from one court or jurisdiction to another, esp from an appeal court to an inferior tribunal

3. the act of remitting

4. something remitted

5. a proposal from a branch of an organization put forward for discussion at the annual general meeting

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• preremit
  verb (used with object)
• nonremittable
  adjective
• remittable
  adjective
• unremittable
  adjective
• nonremittably
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• remits
  plural

Participles

• remitting
  present
• remitted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• remit
  simple
• remits
  simple
• have remitted
  perfect
• has remitted
  perfect
• am remitting
  progressive
• are remitting
  progressive
• is remitting
  progressive
• have been remitting
  perfect progressive
• has been remitting
  perfect progressive

Past

• remitted
  simple
• had remitted
  perfect
• was remitting
  progressive
• were remitting
  progressive
• had been remitting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will remit
  simple
• will have remitted
  perfect
• will be remitting
  progressive
• will have been remitting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of remit

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English remitten, from Latin remittere “to send back, let go back, concede, allow,” equivalent to re- “again; back” + mittere “to send”; see re-

Explanation

If you send your client a bill for your consulting services, be sure to include your address so he knows where to remit the payment. Remit means send back, and it has many uses. If you remit payment, you send it back to the person you owe it to. If you’ve been in prison for five years of a seven-year sentence but you’ve been on good behavior, a judge might remit the remainder of your sentence and let you go free.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

remit remits remitted remitting

But many say the remit includes building AI systems to automate marketing tasks like competitor analysis, paid media buying and the creation of personalized ads.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

Kang views investment in infrastructure as part of a wider remit to ensure female athletes are no longer treated differently from their male counterparts.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

But while Mr. McCredie’s masters provided him with vague guidance about his duties, Kuzichkin received specific instructions that went beyond his normal remit of running “illegals”—as undercover spies were called.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026

Since then, its remit has been confined to promoting social mobility in England more broadly and publishing an annual report, alongside advising ministers.

From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026

There was no fear of the pattyrollers checking every black person to see if he or she had the required remit, or pass, to be out alone.

From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis

In that scenario, Stevens and Moody would see their remits widen.

From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2025

Those remits have typically limited the IOC’s ability or willingness to tackle host nations beyond specific sports issues like organizing events and preparing venues.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 9, 2022

If these assistants had smaller remits, they might be easier to build.

From The Verge ● Aug. 28, 2019

One of the Sheila Foundation’s remits will be to support The Countess Report, which has collected data on male-female ratios in Australian art since 2008.

From The Guardian ● May 27, 2019

He rarely remits that penalty: more often he visits it to the full.

From All's Well Alice's Victory by M. Lewin

The policy was well designed: shipowners could have those fees remitted if they ordered a U.S.-built vessel within three years.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2025

California’s gratuity law requires that tips be remitted in full to non-managerial service staff.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2023

The High Court overturned the tribunal's decision, remitted it for a fresh decision to be made, and the Police Appeals Tribunal's final decision was that Sgt Flint should receive a final written warning.

From BBC ● Nov. 14, 2022

It then oversaw meal distribution, sent the state claims for reimbursement and remitted the federal funds back to its partners, according to the Justice Department.

From Washington Post ● Sep. 20, 2022

On this occasion the king released political prisoners, remitted taxes, endowed temples, forgave rebels, increased military preparedness and, in short, did all the things that modern rulers do when they wish to stay in office.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

Future studies could look at whether those receiving pain treatment are receiving mental health care and whether that care is remitting symptoms.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2023

The foundation sued PJT the following year, claiming the bank had been negligent in failing to more closely supervise Caspersen after he delayed in remitting the $8.1 million fee to the bank.

From Reuters ● Jun. 13, 2023

Nielsen told the Telegraph external-link she first had symptoms aged 13 and was diagnosed with relapsing remitting MS aged 17.

From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2022

Just from listening to him every day, he’s by no means remitting conspiracy theories and false rhetoric on his show.

From The Verge ● Dec. 7, 2021

The packets, they argued, afforded the only available means for remitting gold to Lisbon in exchange for commodities, and should, therefore, be of at least 300 tons and carry 100 men.

From The History of the Post Office From Its Establishment Down to 1836 by Herbert Joyce

Related Words

• defer