refund

1 of 3

verb (1)

re·​fund ri-ˈfənd How to pronounce refund (audio)
ˈrē-ˌfənd
refunded; refunding; refunds

transitive verb

1
: to give or put back
2
: to return (money) in restitution, repayment, or balancing of accounts
refundability noun
refundable adjective

refund

2 of 3

noun

re·​fund ˈrē-ˌfənd How to pronounce refund (audio)
1
: the act of refunding
2
: a sum refunded

refund

3 of 3

verb (2)

re·​fund (ˌ)rē-ˈfənd How to pronounce refund (audio)
refunded; refunding; refunds

transitive verb

: to fund again

Examples of refund in a Sentence

Verb (1) will refund you your money Noun No refunds or exchanges are allowed.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Per the outlet, Turner refused to leave the ride until it was refunded, before Smith lashed out with pepper spray. Demicia Inman, VIBE.com, 26 June 2025 Ticket prices through the roof It has been well documented by several news organizations and websites that FIFA has been forced to slash its original ticket prices by 25 percent, while refunding costs to customers. Michael Lewis, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025
Noun
Most sellers give you between 90 days and a year to decide the purchase wasn't right for you and get a refund. Julia Forbes, Wired News, 28 June 2025 Merchants already live inside these dashboards, so the data firehose is constant: real-time ticket size, refund velocity, day-of-week sales quirks. Zennon Kapron, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for refund

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English refounden, from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French refunder, from Latin refundere, literally, to pour back, from re- + fundere to pour — more at found

Verb (2)

re- + fund entry 2

First Known Use

Verb (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1711, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

1857, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of refund was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Refund.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/refund. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

refund

1 of 3 verb
re·​fund ri-ˈfənd How to pronounce refund (audio)
ˈrē-ˌfənd
: to return money in repayment
refundable adjective

refund

2 of 3 noun
re·​fund ˈrē-ˌfənd How to pronounce refund (audio)
1
: the act of refunding
2
: an amount of money refunded

refund

3 of 3 verb
re·​fund (ˈ)rē-ˈfənd How to pronounce refund (audio)
: to fund a debt again

More from Merriam-Webster on refund

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!