voucher

/ˈvaʊtʃə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · [vˈaʊtʃɚ] /ˈvaʊtʃər/ (ame, ipa) · [vˈaʊtʃɚ] /ˈvau̇-chər/ (ame, mw)

voucher — noun

  • vouchersingular
  • vouchersplural

1. a physical slip, a card, or a digital code that you can exchange for a product,

1.名詞B1
釋義

a physical slip, a card, or a digital code that you can exchange for a product, a service, or a price reduction on what you buy

例句

Minho received a £20 book voucher for his birthday from his classmates.

voucher for [specific item type]

The hotel gave Sahil a voucher for a free breakfast at the restaurant.

同義詞
  • coupon

    usually a code or slip that gives a discount on a specific product, often found in newspapers or apps; a voucher is more often pre-paid

  • gift card

    a plastic card with a stored value, used more often in American English; a voucher is more commonly paper or a code

  • token

    a voucher-like item used in exchange for something, common in British English (a book token)

文法句型

voucher + for + [goods/service]

voucher + to-infinitive

用法筆記

Often given by companies as a gift or reward. The type of voucher is usually named before the word (a book voucher, a travel voucher, a gift voucher).

常見錯誤

❌I bought a voucher for £50 in the supermarket
✅I bought a £50 gift voucher at the supermarket.
💡The word order for the value should come before 'voucher', and 'gift voucher' is the standard term when the voucher itself is purchased as a present.
❌The voucher is expired.
✅The voucher has expired.
💡Use the present perfect with 'expire' to describe a voucher that is no longer valid.

2. a sum of money given by a US government program to help parents pay for their ch

2.名詞B2
釋義

a sum of money given by a US government program to help parents pay for their child's education at a private school

例句

The state program gives low-income families a voucher to choose their child's school.

voucher + to-infinitive — purpose

Kwame's parents used a school voucher to send him to a private academy across town.

同義詞
  • scholarship

    money awarded based on merit or need, not tied to a specific government program; a voucher is a specific government-issued funding certificate

  • education grant

    a sum of money given for study, often broader than a voucher and not limited to private-school choice

文法句型

voucher + for + [school type]

voucher + program/system

用法筆記

This sense is almost exclusively used in the context of US education policy. It appears most often in the compounds 'school voucher' and 'voucher program/system'.

常見錯誤

❌My parents got a school voucher to buy uniforms.
✅My parents got a school voucher to pay for tuition at a private school.
💡A school voucher covers tuition fees, not general school expenses.

3. a document, such as a receipt or a signed note, that records a business expense

3.名詞C1
釋義

a document, such as a receipt or a signed note, that records a business expense or proves that money was spent

例句

Talia kept all the vouchers from her business trip to show her manager.

voucher as proof of spending

The accountant checked each expense voucher against the numbers in the company bank statement.

expense voucher — business context

同義詞
  • receipt

    a proof of payment from a seller; a voucher can be an internal company document, not from the seller

  • invoice

    a request for payment from a seller; a voucher shows payment has been made or authorized

  • record

    a general term for any documentation; less precise than 'voucher' in accounting

文法句型

voucher + for + [expense]

expense + voucher

用法筆記

This sense is used in accounting and office settings. The voucher is usually a physical or digital record that supports a payment entry in the company's books. Often paired with 'expense' or 'travel' as a compound noun.

常見錯誤

❌I lost the voucher of lunch.
✅I lost the lunch receipt.' OR 'I lost the expense voucher for the lunch meeting.
💡In business contexts, name the specific expense after 'voucher for'.