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to reimburse

to reimburse

63 5.3
To pay back money someone spent for you
  • verb
  • /ˌriːɪmˈbɜːrs/
translation icon : reembolsar
  • The company will reimburse employees for any travel expenses incurred during the business trip.
  • reimbursed for expenses
  • reimbursed for costs
  • reimbursed for services

And that is that Medicaid reimburses physicians for vaccinations.

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Examples

  • We're sorry about that needle, but we'll reimburse you.

  • If a client doesn't show, you'll have to reimburse their part of the fee.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • Every quarter, you must reimburse the agency for all additional sales made during the previous quarter.

    Academic text (1997)
  • I'll have my father reimburse you.

  • You cannot, however, reimburse me for any expenses.

  • And sometimes the, the post office will also reimburse you if it's insured.

  • Let us reimburse you for that breakage, okay?

  • I will reimburse you for any inconvenience or damage done to the car.

  • Every time the nursing home changed hands, Medicaid would reimburse the owner's capital costs at the new, higher value.

    Academic text (1995)
  • The school shall pay the Association a site evaluation fee and shall reimburse the site evaluators for their expenses.

    Academic text (1997)

Synonyms

to pay back
vsto reimburse
298 1.6

Give back money you borrowed from someone

is used to cover expenses and losses, not only to return loans
to compensate
vsto reimburse
102 4.2

To give money to someone for loss, injury or unpaid work

focuses on paying back actual expenses and losses rather than broader remedies
to repay
vsto reimburse
75 1.7

To pay back money you borrowed

covers paying expenses and losses instead of returning borrowed money
to recompense
vsto reimburse
1 7.4

To pay someone for loss, harm, or effort

is a neutral payment for costs and losses rather than a moral or apologetic act

Antonyms

210 5.1

Refuse to give something someone wants or needs

How Restorative

to indemnify
  • Formal
6 8.7
to compensate
102 4.2
to reimburse
63 5.3
to repay
75 1.7

Surface Forms

reimburse infinitive
reimbursed past
reimbursed past participle
reimbursing present participle
reimburses third person singular

Morphology

reimburse = imburse (semi-transparent) = re + imburse

The prefix re- clearly signals 'back' or 'again', but the base verb imburse is rare, so the full meaning is only partly predictable for many learners.

Etymology

The word reimburse comes from old parts re- meaning 'back' and bursa meaning 'purse'. It meant 'put money back into the purse', so to reimburse someone today is to pay them back for costs they have had.