in-kind
/ˈin-ˈkīnd/ (ame, mw)
in-kind — idiom
1. Describing a payment, donation, or reward that is provided as goods or services
Describing a payment, donation, or reward that is provided as goods or services instead of money, without being converted into cash.
The clinic received in-kind donations of medicine and bandages from several local pharmacies.
passive: received in-kind donations of [goods]
When the theater ran out of cash, it paid its actors in kind by giving them free tickets.
pay + in kind + by [method]
Chen's landlord agreed to accept repairs and painting work in kind instead of rent.
The government sent over two million dollars in in-kind aid to the disaster region.
- in lieu of money
more formal, often used in legal or tax contexts
- non-monetary
adjectival form, neutral register
- barter
describes a direct exchange of goods or services, whereas 'in kind' can describe one-way transfers
- in cash
payment made using money rather than goods or services
文法句型
pay/receive + in kind
用法筆記
Used adverbially after a verb such as 'pay', 'give', 'receive', or 'donate'. The phrase 'in kind' indicates that the transaction uses goods or services instead of currency. Common in contexts of charity, taxation, barter, and compensation.
常見錯誤
2. Responding to a person's action by doing the same thing back to them, especially
Responding to a person's action by doing the same thing back to them, especially as a form of retaliation or reciprocation.
Boris made a rude comment, and Fatima responded in kind with a sharp remark.
respond + in kind + with [action]
The two newspapers attacked each other in kind, publishing equally harsh editorials day after day.
attack + in kind — reciprocal structure
Ana helped Jing move his furniture, and he returned the favor in kind by painting her kitchen.
The senator's speech was full of personal attacks, and the opposition leader replied in kind.
- like for like
more informal, same meaning of reciprocal action
- tit for tat
idiomatic, often implies a petty or childish exchange
- reciprocally
more formal and neutral, can describe positive or negative exchanges
- turn the other cheek
idiom meaning to respond with forgiveness instead of retaliation
文法句型
respond/reply + in kind
return + in kind
用法筆記
Often carries a negative connotation of retaliation — returning an insult, an attack, or an unfair action. Can describe positive reciprocation (returning a favour), but the retaliation sense is more frequent in everyday language. Distinguish from sense 1 (payment in goods): sense 2 describes an action done back to someone, never a financial transaction.
常見錯誤
in-kind — adjective
1. Made as a payment, donation, or contribution that takes the form of goods or ser
Made as a payment, donation, or contribution that takes the form of goods or services rather than money, where the giver provides something of material value without exchanging it for cash.
Hana's company made an in-kind donation of office furniture and computers to the youth centre.
in-kind donation of [specific goods]
After the typhoon, many families received in-kind assistance such as rice, blankets, and bottled water.
in-kind assistance — humanitarian aid context
Samir offered in-kind accounting services to the charity because it could not afford his usual fee.
The city accepted an in-kind contribution of playground equipment from the neighbourhood association.
- non-cash
more informal, same meaning; used similarly before nouns
- non-monetary
slightly more formal; interchangeable with 'in-kind' in most contexts
- bartered
implies a direct exchange rather than a one-way transfer
- cash
describing monetary rather than non-monetary transactions
文法句型
in-kind + noun
用法筆記
Almost always used attributively before a noun (e.g. 'in-kind payment', 'in-kind contribution'). The hyphenated spelling 'in-kind' is standard when the phrase functions as an adjective before a noun; the open form 'in kind' is used for the adverbial idiom sense. Distinguish from adj/2 (等值的 / EQUIVALENT VALUE): this sense focuses on the MEDIUM of payment — the transaction uses goods or services INSTEAD OF cash. Adj/2 focuses on the PROPORTIONAL EQUIVALENCE of a distribution or exchange, regardless of whether cash is involved. For example, donating surplus food to a food bank is adj/1 (in-kind contribution — non-monetary gift); dividing inherited property equally among five heirs without selling it is adj/2 (in-kind distribution — preservation of form and value).
常見錯誤
2. Given or received in a form or amount that is equivalent in value or nature to a
Given or received in a form or amount that is equivalent in value or nature to another form or amount, preserving the original medium rather than converting it into something different such as cash.
The court ordered an in-kind distribution of the farmland, giving each sibling a parcel of equal value.
in-kind distribution — proportional division preserving form
Shareholders received an in-kind dividend of shares in the subsidiary instead of a cash payout.
in-kind dividend — financial instrument instead of cash
The two research institutes arranged an in-kind exchange of laboratory equipment worth the same amount.
Under the will, each of the three children received an in-kind share of the art collection equal in value to the others.
- equivalent
broader meaning; not limited to legal or financial contexts
- commensurate
more formal, emphasises proportional equivalence
- like-for-like
informal, common in business and finance
- cash-equivalent
describes something converted to monetary value, the opposite of keeping the same form
文法句型
in-kind + noun (distribution/exchange/swap/dividend)
用法筆記
Used in legal, financial, or tax contexts describing asset distributions, share exchanges, or property swaps where the recipient receives something of EQUIVALENT VALUE in its original form. Unlike adj/1 (非金錢給付 / NON-MONETARY PAYMENT), this sense does NOT emphasise that cash is absent; it emphasises that the form or value of what is given matches what is owed. A grant of food vouchers (goods instead of cash) is adj/1; the division of an estate into equal-value parcels distributed whole to each heir is adj/2. Look for contexts involving division, proportion, or same-form preservation rather than one-way charity.