repatriate

American  

[ree-pey-tree-eyt, ree-pey-tree-it] / riˈpeɪ triˌeɪt, riˈpeɪ tri ɪt /

verb (used with object)

repatriates, present (3rd person singular) repatriated, past participle, past repatriating present participle

1. to bring or send back (a person, especially a prisoner of war, a refugee, etc.) to their country or land of citizenship.

2. to send (profits or other assets) back to one's own country.

3. 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.

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verb (used without object)

repatriates, present (3rd person singular) repatriated, past participle, past repatriating present participle

1. to return to one's own country.

   to repatriate after 20 years abroad.

noun

1. a person who has been repatriated.

repatriate British  

verb

1. to send back (a refugee, prisoner of war, etc) to the country of his birth or citizenship

2. to send back (a sum of money previously invested abroad) to its country of origin

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noun

1. a person who has been repatriated

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• repatriation
  noun
• nonrepatriable
  adjective
• repatriable
  adjective
• unrepatriated
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• repatriating
  present
• repatriated
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• repatriate
  simple
• repatriates
  simple
• have repatriated
  perfect
• has repatriated
  perfect
• am repatriating
  progressive
• are repatriating
  progressive
• is repatriating
  progressive
• have been repatriating
  perfect progressive
• has been repatriating
  perfect progressive

Past

• repatriated
  simple
• had repatriated
  perfect
• was repatriating
  progressive
• were repatriating
  progressive
• had been repatriating
  perfect progressive

Future

• will repatriate
  simple
• will have repatriated
  perfect
• will be repatriating
  progressive
• will have been repatriating
  perfect progressive

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."

Example Sentences

Plans were under way to repatriate his body back to Ghana for burial, according to the Ghanaian foreign ministry, which also sent its condolences to the family.

From BBC • Jul. 2, 2026

Nigeria has become the latest African state to repatriate some of its citizens from South Africa following a rise in anti-migrant sentiments in the country.

From BBC • Jun. 11, 2026

Moreover, the report observes Korean retail investors have only just started to repatriate capital from foreign equity markets and they see ”a lot of room to go on that.”

From MarketWatch • Jun. 4, 2026

He said he fears other countries would attempt to forcibly repatriate him to El Salvador, where he believes he is at risk of persecution.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

My identity card said Resettler, indicating that Germany had allowed me to repatriate from Lithuania.

From "Salt to the Sea" by Ruta Sepetys