Words / C1

ree-im-BURS/ˌriːɪmˈbɜːs/

To reimburse is to pay back money spent on someone else’s behalf: reimburse travel, reimbursed for the fare. Refund is money back to a customer; repay is settle a debt. Reimbursement is the noun. You reimburse a person (or their account), not a feeling. Do not use it for a gift.

Meaning

To pay someone back money they have spent on your behalf.

Examples

• “The department will reimburse travel if you keep the receipts.”
• “Keep the PDFs if you want the department to reimburse the rail fare.”
• “A grant can reimburse receipts; it does not “reimburse” lost time.”

Good to know

Pay someone back for outlay. Noun: reimbursement. Customer money-back: refund. Loan: repay. Not a present.

Near in meaning

repay

New