reimbursements

IPA/ˌriː.ɪmˈbɜːs.mənt/
KK[rˌiɪmbˈɚsmənts]IPA/ˌriː.ɪmˈbɝːs.mənt/

reimbursements — noun

  • reimbursementssingular
  • reimbursementsesplural

1. money that you receive to cover costs you have already paid, or the process of g

1.nounB2
Definition

money that you receive to cover costs you have already paid, or the process of getting this money back

Example

Amelia received a quick reimbursement for her train tickets after the work trip.

collocation: reimbursement for + expense type

The company sent Nellie a reimbursement cheque for the conference fee she had paid.

Common collocations
  • full reimbursement
  • travel reimbursement
  • expense reimbursement
  • claim reimbursement
  • seek reimbursement
  • prompt reimbursement
Synonyms
  • repayment

    more general; can refer to any money returned, not necessarily expense-based

  • refund

    specifically for money returned when goods are faulty or a service is cancelled

  • compensation

    broader; covers payment for loss, injury, or inconvenience, not just expenses

Antonyms
  • charge

    money demanded for a service or purchase

  • deduction

    money taken away from a total, opposite of money returned

reimbursements — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These four words all describe receiving money back, but they differ in the situation and formality. A reimbursement is specifically money you get after spending your own funds for something that someone else (often an employer or insurer) should pay for — think travel costs or medical bills. A repayment is broader and applies to any money returned, including personal loans between friends. A refund is for money returned when a purchase goes wrong: faulty goods, a cancelled flight, a returned item. Compensation is the widest term, covering payment for injury, loss, inconvenience, or unfair treatment — it often appears in legal and insurance contexts. Restitution is the most formal, implying a moral or legal duty to restore what was taken or damaged. If your employer pays you back for a train ticket, that is a reimbursement; if a shop returns your money for a broken toaster, that is a refund.

repayment ↗refund ↗compensation ↗restitution

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • in reimbursement for
  • seek reimbursement for
  • submit a reimbursement claim

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

From re- (back) + imburse, which comes from Medieval Latin imbursare meaning 'to put in a purse' (from in- + bursa 'purse'). The word entered English through French rembourser, literally 'to put money back into someone's purse.' Early usage in the 1600s was purely financial, and the word still centres on the image of restoring money that has left someone's pocket.

First known use

1511

1511, in the meaning defined at sense 1