repatriate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
repatriates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
repatriated,
past participle, past
-
repatriating
present participle
-
to bring or send back (a person, especially a prisoner of war, a refugee, etc.) to their country or land of citizenship.
-
to send (profits or other assets) back to one's own country.
-
to restore to a country that has attained sovereignty something that was formerly held or administered on that country’s behalf by a colonial power.
In 1982, the Trudeau government repatriated Canada's constitution from Britain.
verb (used without object)
-
repatriates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
repatriated,
past participle, past
-
repatriating
present participle
noun
verb
-
to send back (a refugee, prisoner of war, etc) to the country of his birth or citizenship
-
to send back (a sum of money previously invested abroad) to its country of origin
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
repatriatesimple
-
repatriatessimple
-
have repatriatedperfect
-
has repatriatedperfect
-
am repatriatingprogressive
-
are repatriatingprogressive
-
is repatriatingprogressive
-
have been repatriatingperfect progressive
-
has been repatriatingperfect progressive
Past
-
repatriatedsimple
-
had repatriatedperfect
-
was repatriatingprogressive
-
were repatriatingprogressive
-
had been repatriatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of repatriate
First recorded in 1605–15; from Late Latin repatriātus (past participle of repatriāre “to return to one's fatherland”), equivalent to Latin re- “again, back” + patri(a) “native country” (noun use of feminine of patrius “paternal,” derivative of pater “father”) + -ātus past participle suffix; see re-, father, -ate 1
Explanation
When a country repatriates people, they are usually refugees who are being sent back to their homeland, often against their wishes. It is possible for a person to repatriate himself, choosing to return to a country he's left for political or economic reasons, but the verb repatriate is more often used to mean "send refugees home." It might sound like a modern political term, but repatriate has been used since the 1600s. It comes from the Latin word repatriare, "return to one's own country," from the prefix re, "back," and patria, "native land."
Vocabulary lists containing repatriate
Not Your Father's Word List: Pater, Patr
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"The Latehomecomer," Vocabulary from the memoir excerpt
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Salt to the Sea
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Indonesian authorities are working to repatriate five baby orangutans allegedly trafficked to India, where they were found motherless in a forest, Jakarta's forestry ministry told AFP Friday.
From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026
Indeed, part of Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s anxiety about Japanese bond yields and weak currency is the risk that better returns could entice Japanese investors to dump U.S. assets and repatriate their funds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
“Fifty percent of our population is Venezuelan, and our ability to repatriate them has been extremely limited,” said Dawnisha Helland, ICE’s acting assistant director of enforcement and removal.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
Ghana was the first African country to repatriate citizens from South Africa at the start of the recent wave of anti-migrant protests.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
“When they got to Germany, they were going to process papers for us to try to repatriate as well.”
From "Between Shades of Gray" by Ruta Sepetys
From Agadez, the U.N. migration agency repatriates them to their countries of origin with the financial help of the European Union.
From New York Times ● Jan. 23, 2024
Plus, Robert Egan leaves the vaunted OPC, and the Getty repatriates works, in our weekly arts newsletter.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 2, 2024
"India has very robust child protection laws and if the German court repatriates her, she can be looked after in India," she said.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2023
Coast Guard often repatriates people found at sea; it did so earlier this month when it sent back 119 Cuban migrants.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 27, 2022
Then suddenly came the announcement: “Japanese repatriates will begin disembarking beginning with R through V.”
From "A Place to Belong" by Cynthia Kadohata
Diane Wolfe does not believe the vigango need to be repatriated, but she distinguished that from her willingness to see portions of the broader collection return to Africa.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
Historically, companies have repatriated around 60% of their foreign-affiliate earnings on average, they note.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026
Additionally, the prospect of repatriated capital could bolster the yen, which has seen USD/JPY rise above 163, an exchange rate not seen since 1986.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
Nigeria has repatriated around 1,490 nationals, while Ghana has flown home at least 926, according to government figures.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
The Germans chased down the train, searched the baggage, repatriated the glasses, and sent the Americans on to Berlin.
From "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand
More than 160,000 foreign nationals have departed South Africa over the past two months, according to an AFP tally based on figures from repatriating governments, in one of the country's largest recent migrant exoduses.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
Sri Lankan officials said they have not begun discussions on repatriating the Bushehr crew and those rescued from Dena, but they will be treated in line with Colombo’s treaty obligations.
From Barron's ● Mar. 13, 2026
Emirates, Etihad and Flydubai are operating an increasing number of ad hoc flights aimed at moving cargo and repatriating passengers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 5, 2026
Chilean officials said the search for victims had ended and the focus was now on repatriating the bodies and liaising with foreign consulates.
From BBC ● Nov. 19, 2025
He was either critical of the Nazi Party, critical of me for repatriating, or both.
From "Salt to the Sea" by Ruta Sepetys
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