reimburse

verb

re·​im·​burse ˌrē-əm-ˈbərs How to pronounce reimburse (audio)
reimbursed; reimbursing
Synonyms of reimbursenext

transitive verb

1
: to pay back to someone : repay
reimburse travel expenses
2
: to make restoration or payment of an equivalent to
reimburse him for his traveling expenses
reimbursable
ˌrē-əm-ˈbər-sə-bəl How to pronounce reimburse (audio)
adjective
reimbursement
ˌrē-əm-ˈbərs-mənt How to pronounce reimburse (audio)
noun

Synonyms

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Choose the Right Synonym for reimburse

pay, compensate, remunerate, satisfy, reimburse, indemnify, repay, recompense mean to give money or its equivalent in return for something.

pay implies the discharge of an obligation incurred.

paid their bills

compensate implies a making up for services rendered.

an attorney well compensated for her services

remunerate clearly suggests paying for services rendered and may extend to payment that is generous or not contracted for.

promised to remunerate the searchers handsomely

satisfy implies paying a person what is required by law.

all creditors will be satisfied in full

reimburse implies a return of money that has been spent for another's benefit.

reimbursed employees for expenses

indemnify implies making good a loss suffered through accident, disaster, warfare.

indemnified the families of the dead miners

repay stresses paying back an equivalent in kind or amount.

repay a favor with a favor

recompense suggests due return in amends, friendly repayment, or reward.

passengers were recompensed for the delay

Examples of reimburse in a Sentence

make sure you keep your receipts so we can reimburse you for your expenses
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
However, in the United States, there are no federal guidelines that dictate how much or when airlines must reimburse passengers, which makes things murky. —Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 28 Oct. 2025 Trump reimbursed Cohen in monthly installments that prosecutors said amounted to falsified records. —Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 28 Oct. 2025 Snow sports - Skiing or snowboarding accidents sometimes require emergency mountain evacuations, and the right insurance plan would reimburse expenses like lift tickets or ski rentals. —Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 28 Oct. 2025 State lawmakers could choose to use state funds to cover FoodShare benefits for November, but the Agriculture Department said states would not be reimbursed. —Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 27 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for reimburse

Word History

Etymology

re- + obsolete English imburse to put in the pocket, pay, from Medieval Latin imbursare, from Latin in- in- + Medieval Latin bursa purse — more at purse

First Known Use

1511, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of reimburse was in 1511

Rhymes for reimburse

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Browse Nearby Words

reimagine
reimburse
Reimer-Tiemann reaction
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Reimburse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reimburse. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.

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Kids Definition

reimburse

verb
re·​im·​burse ˌrē-əm-ˈbərs How to pronounce reimburse (audio)
reimbursed; reimbursing
: to pay back : repay
reimburse travel expenses
reimbursable
-ˈbər-sə-bəl How to pronounce reimburse (audio)
adjective
reimbursement
-ˈbər-smənt How to pronounce reimburse (audio)
noun
Etymology

from re- "again, back" and obsolete imburse "pay, put in the pocket," from Latin imbursare (same meaning), from earlier in- "in" and bursa "purse, small leather bag" — related to disburse, purse

Legal Definition

reimburse

transitive verb
re·​im·​burse ˌrē-əm-ˈbərs How to pronounce reimburse (audio)
reimbursed; reimbursing
1
: to pay back (a sum lost or expended) to someone
will reimburse the court costs
2
: to make restoration or payment of an equivalent to
reimburse the employee for travel expenses
reimbursement noun

More from Merriam-Webster on reimburse

Nglish: Translation of reimburse for Spanish Speakers

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