reward
Americannoun
verb (used with object)
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to recompense or requite (a person or animal) for service, merit, achievement, etc.
- Synonyms:
- remunerate, pay, compensate
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to make return for or requite (service, merit, etc.); recompense.
noun
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something given or received in return for a deed or service rendered
-
a sum of money offered, esp for help in finding a criminal or for the return of lost or stolen property
-
profit or return
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something received in return for good or evil; deserts
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psychol any pleasant event that follows a response and therefore increases the likelihood of the response recurring in the future
verb
Related Words
Reward, prize, recompense imply something given in return for good. A reward is something given or done in return for good (or, more rarely, evil) received; it may refer to something abstract or concrete: a $50 reward; Virtue is its own reward. Prize refers to something concrete offered as a reward of merit, or to be contested for and given to the winner: to win a prize for an essay. A recompense is something given or done, whether as reward or punishment, for acts performed, services rendered, etc.; or it may be something given in compensation for loss or injury suffered, etc.: Renown was his principal recompense for years of hard work.
Other Word Forms
- misreward verb (used with object)
- overreward verb
- rewardable adjective
- rewardableness noun
- rewardably adverb
- rewarder noun
- rewardless adjective
- superreward verb (used with object)
- unrewardable adjective
- unrewarded adjective
- well-rewarded adjective
Etymology
Origin of reward
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English (verb) rewarden originally, “to regard,” from Old North French rewarder “to look at,” variant of Old French reguarder; regard
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.
This upper rung of tech media is moving toward flattering, access-driven coverage, where the powerful reward friendliness more than broader audiences reward independence.
From Slate • Apr. 7, 2026
Three players in the eight-man tournament came in with higher ratings than Sindarov and, as the most pressure-packed tournament in chess, the Candidates tends to reward experience.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026
If they install impact-resistant roofing, some insurance companies will offer homeowners discounted premiums as a reward for disaster-proofing their home.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026
If she made it through the full 30 days, she’d reward herself with a Dyson Airwrap.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026
Hundreds of manhunters rushed to claim a portion of the $100,000 reward offered by the War Department.
From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
