Dictionary

reimburse en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˌɹiːɪmˈbɜː(ɹ)s/
• (US) audio

Etymology

1591, re- (“back”) + imburse (“pay”, literally “put in a purse”) (perhaps after Middle French rembourser or Italian rimborsàre), from Middle French embourser, from Old French en- (“in”) + borser (“to get money”), from borse (“purse”), from Medieval Latin bursa (English purse).

Meanings

1. (transitive) To compensate (someone) with payment; especially, to repay money spent on someone's behalf.
   • The company will reimburse you for your expenses for the business trip.
   • You can tell this funny monkey story, but please keep and mind and tell people that the man who lost all his fruit to the monkeys was entirely reimbursed. 2006 May 9, Penn Jillette, Michael Goudeau, quoting Rudy, 15:35 from the start, in Penn Radio:
2. (transitive) To recoup (funds spent).
   • He has spent many years on the automaton, and it must have cost thousands of pounds in experiment and construction. He makes no secret of hoping to reimburse his outlay. 1923, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], “(please specify the page)”, in The Eyes of Max Carrados, London: Grant Richards, →OCLC:

Forms

Antonyms

default

Deriveds

reimbursable · reimbursor · reimbursee · reimbursal · unreimbursed · reimbursement · reimburser · reimbursability

Hypernyms

pay · compensate

Relateds

bursary · bursar · purse · bursa

Synonyms

imburse · imburse · recompense · reimburse · guerdon · reprise · compensate

Translations (38)

sl poplačati komu (to compensate with pay or money; especially, to repay money spent on one's behalf) · nl terugbetalen (to compensate with pay or money; especially, to repay money spent on one's behalf) · pl zwracać koszty (to compensate with pay or money; especially, to repay money spent on one's behalf) · fr rembourser (to compensate with pay or money; especially, to repay money spent on one's behalf) · ru возмеща́ть (to compensate with pay or money; especially, to repay money spent on one's behalf) · de erstatten (to compensate with pay or money; especially, to repay money spent on one's behalf) · az qarşılamaq (to compensate with pay or money; especially, to repay money spent on one's behalf) · fi korvata (to compensate with pay or money; especially, to repay money spent on one's behalf) · fi hyvittää (to compensate with pay or money; especially, to repay money spent on one's behalf) · bg връщам (to compensate with pay or money; especially, to repay money spent on one's behalf) · ca reemborsar (to compensate with pay or money; especially, to repay money spent on one's behalf) · cy ad-dalu (to compensate with pay or money; especially, to repay money spent on one's behalf) · cmn 報銷 /报销 (to compensate with pay or money; especially, to repay money spent on one's behalf) · mi whakahoki moni (to compensate with pay or money; especially, to repay money spent on one's behalf) · es pagar (to compensate with pay or money; especially, to repay money spent on one's behalf) · et korvama (to compensate with pay or money; especially, to repay money spent on one's behalf) · nl vergoeden (to compensate with pay or money; especially, to repay money spent on one's behalf) · pt reembolsar (to compensate with pay or money; especially, to repay money spent on one's behalf) · pl zrefundować (to compensate with pay or money; especially, to repay money spent on one's behalf) · it rimborsare (to compensate with pay or money; especially, to repay money spent on one's behalf) · ja 返済 (to compensate with pay or money; especially, to repay money spent on one's behalf) · eo repagi (to compensate with pay or money; especially, to repay money spent on one's behalf) · et hüvitama (to compensate with pay or money; especially, to repay money spent on one's behalf) · ru компенси́ровать (to compensate with pay or money; especially, to repay money spent on one's behalf) · ga cúitigh (to compensate with pay or money; especially, to repay money spent on one's behalf) · sv ersätta (to compensate with pay or money; especially, to repay money spent on one's behalf) · pl refundować (to compensate with pay or money; especially, to repay money spent on one's behalf) · ro rambursa (to compensate with pay or money; especially, to repay money spent on one's behalf) · tr geri ödemek (to compensate with pay or money; especially, to repay money spent on one's behalf) · es reembolsar (to compensate with pay or money; especially, to repay money spent on one's behalf) · nl rembourseren (to compensate with pay or money; especially, to repay money spent on one's behalf) · bg възстановявам (to compensate with pay or money; especially, to repay money spent on one's behalf) · pl zwrócić koszty (to compensate with pay or money; especially, to repay money spent on one's behalf) · tr telafi etmek (to compensate with pay or money; especially, to repay money spent on one's behalf) · hu megtérít (to compensate with pay or money; especially, to repay money spent on one's behalf) · da tilbagebetale (to compensate with pay or money; especially, to repay money spent on one's behalf) · da godtgøre (to compensate with pay or money; especially, to repay money spent on one's behalf) · ja 返金 (to compensate with pay or money; especially, to repay money spent on one's behalf)