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

“The way to get monetary policy right is to deliver on the remit that Congress gave us, to deliver on price stability,” Warsh told the press.

From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026

But the new cohort also has a wider remit.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 2026

Recently, however, Rossetti’s remit had included statements on UFOs.

From Slate ● Jun. 8, 2026

Two decades later, finding balance is his urgent remit as the chief financial officer at Anthropic in today’s blistering race to develop AI.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 8, 2026

The remit was another harsh fact of life.

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

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

However, she pointed out that some business case remits had yet to be received and that they also required the approval of the finance minister.

From BBC ● Nov. 16, 2021

Evergrande remits funds for a dollar bond coupon that was due Sept. 23 to avoid default before the 30-day grace period expires, a source says.

From Reuters ● Oct. 22, 2021

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

From The Verge ● Aug. 28, 2019

The solicitor for the beatification presents the brief to the cardinal-prefect; he remits it to the cardinal-archpriest of the church where the ceremony is held.

From The Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and Principal Saints January, February, March by Butler, Alban

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

But she said existing research and treatment typically focus on the more common "relapsing remitting" form of the disease, where symptoms flare up and subside.

From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2023

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

Our First Amendment curtails what the government can do in terms of remitting individual speakers and provides broader protection of speech than any other nation.

From Slate ● Feb. 15, 2020

Can I prove that my private opinion is the correct one, and a sufficient cause for remitting a punishment universally considered to be well merited?

From A Twofold Life by Hillern, Wilhelmine von

Related Words

• defer