render

1 of 2

verb

ren·​der ˈren-dər 

rendered; rendering ˈren-d(ə-)riŋ  ; renders

transitive verb

1

a

formal : to cause (someone or something) to be or become : make

was rendered unconscious

changes that will render the rule irrelevant

b formal

(1)

: to reproduce or represent (something) by artistic or verbal means : depict

… her sense that life has meaning that cannot be rendered in narrative …

—Roger Sale

(2)

: to give a performance of

perfectly rendered songs

(3)

: to produce a copy or version of

The documents are rendered in the original French.

(4)

: to execute the motions of

render a salute

c

formal : translate

render Latin into English

d

computers : to cause (something, such as an image or text) to display (as on a screen)

It is the most standards-compliant browser out there and it renders text and images even better than Firefox.

—Sandusky (Ohio) Register

The primary display renders images in rich and vivid color and with deep blacks.

—PCWorld

: to process for display on a computer screen

Taking two-dimensional imagery from the world's most advanced telescopes, the only computer enhancements have been to render the images into 3D.

—Kylie Northover

Animators guide characters through specific movements, scenes receive lighting and other finishing touches and, finally, computers render the animations into continuous frames.

—Jennifer Johnson

2

formal

a

: to transmit (something) to another : deliver

… his father left him gold / … which was not rendered to him …

—Alfred Tennyson

(figurative) … this would render … a devastating blow to American credibility …

—James Dobbins

b

: give up, yield

render one's life for a cause

—often used with up

… he rendered up his soul to its Creator …

—Edward Healy Thompson

… melting glaciers have rendered up crashed airplanes, wooly mammoths, and even prehistoric humans.

—David James

c

: to provide (something) for consideration, approval, or information

render a report

: such as

(1)

law : to hand down (a legal judgment)

a judgment rendered against a defendant

(2)

law : to agree on and report (a verdict)

The jury renders a verdict.

3

formal

a

: to give (something) in return or retribution

… render them their due reward.

—Psalms 28:4 (Revised Standard Version)

b(1)

: give back, restore

That which she had given was rendered unto her again …

—Cornelia A. P. Comer

—usually used with back

… the pink slip … which he was supposed to keep with his passport and render back to the Haitian officials at departure.

—Madison Smart Bell

… was kidnapped … and forcibly rendered back [=returned] to Saudi Arabia.

—Alex Marquardt

(2)

: reflect, echo

The heart's echoes render / No song when the spirit is mute …

—Percy Bysshe Shelley

c

: to give (something) in acknowledgment of dependence or obligation : pay

render due respect

At the close of business Friday, a public apology for creating the confusion had not yet been rendered.

—Michael Nowels

d

: to do (a service) for another

render aid

4

a

: to melt (something) down

render suet

also : to extract (something) by melting

render fat from duck skin

b

: to convert (something) into another substance or form by means of a process or treatment

trees rendered into wood pulp

animal fat rendered into tallow

5

formal : to provide or apply : administer

render justice

6

: to apply a coat of plaster or cement directly to

intransitive verb

1

computers : to display on a digital screen

The image rendered quickly.

Due to screen resolutions or platform restrictions, specific fonts might not render well.

—Pawel Grabowski

2

obsolete : to give recompense

For he will render to every man according to his works …

—Romans 2:6 (Revised Standard Version)

renderable

ˈren-d(ə-)rə-bəl 

adjective

renderer

ˈren-dər-ər 

noun

plural renderers

rendering noun

plural renderings

In her rendering of the Great Plains … women achieve independence from restrictive roles …

—Alex Ross

render

2 of 2

noun

: a return especially in goods or services due from a feudal tenant to his lord

Synonyms of render

Verb

• relinquish
• deliver
• surrender

Examples of render in a Sentence

Verb

Depression can render a person helpless.

Both passengers were rendered unconscious in the accident.

The sight of her rendered him speechless.

The virus rendered the computer useless.

He witnessed a car accident and stopped to render aid.

The jury rendered a verdict of not guilty.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Republicans relinquishing control of one or both chambers of Congress in 2026 will render the president a lame duck for the remainder of his second term, and Democrats have an early 4-point advantage on generic congressional ballot polling. —Naomi Lim, The Washington Examiner, 4 Nov. 2025

Her team learned to predict which neurons would fire when a monkey saw a specific face; even more strikingly, given a pattern of neurons firing, Tsao’s team could render the face. —James Somers, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025

For the monks or clerics, it is presented as a material substance, carried like a sack of gold on the demon’s back; the metaphors used are monetary or economic, as though the monks owe ordered syllables to God instead of the monetary tithe their vows of poverty render unnecessary. —JSTOR Daily, 31 Oct. 2025

Quietly, evil collapsed, while Maloyan’s virtue stood firm against brutal force, rendering that force powerless. —Jenni Fink, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English rendren, from Anglo-French rendre to give back, surrender, from Vulgar Latin *rendere, alteration of Latin reddere, partly from re- + dare to give & partly from re- + -dere to put — more at date, do

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1c

Noun

1647, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for render

• bender
• blender
• fender
• gender
• lender
• mender
• prendre
• sender
• slender
• splendor
• tender
• vender

Kids Definition

render

verb

ren·​der

ˈren-dər

rendered; rendering

-d(ə-)riŋ

1

: to obtain by heating

render lard from fat

2

a

: to furnish or give to another : deliver

render a report

render aid

b

: surrender entry 1 sense 1, give up

rendered their lives to save others

3

: to give in return

render thanks

4

a

: to cause to be or become

render a person helpless

b

: perform sense 3a

render a salute

c

: perform sense 3b

render a song

d

: translate sense 3a, b

render Latin into English

renderable

-d(ə-)rə-bəl

adjective

renderer

-dər-ər

noun

Legal Definition

render

transitive verb

ren·​der ˈren-dər 

1

: to transmit to another : deliver

2

: to furnish for consideration, approval, or information: as

a

: hand down

render a judgment

b

: to agree on and report (a verdict) compare enter

3

: to give in acknowledgment of dependence or obligation : make payment of

4

: to direct the execution of

render justice

renderable adjective