repatriate

American  

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

verb (used with object)

repatriated, repatriating

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)

repatriated, repatriating

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

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

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; re-, father, -ate ¹

Example Sentences

South Korea's foreign ministry has urged Ukraine not to "forcibly repatriate North Korean prisoners of war against their will" and has asked that their desire to go to the South be respected.

From Barron's

Currency controls that barred companies from repatriating earnings forced airlines to write off billions of dollars.

From The Wall Street Journal

The legal action in Russia comes as Austria and Russia try to reach an agreement to repatriate their capital.

From Barron's

A post-mortem examination was carried out by Professor Kevin West when Ms Hunt's body was repatriated to the UK.

From BBC

They also said he was willing to be removed to Costa Rica, which had offered him residence and assurances that he wouldn’t be forcibly repatriated from there.

From The Wall Street Journal