reimburse

1 of 2

verb

re·​im·​burse ˌrē-əm-ˈbərs 

reimbursed; reimbursing

transitive verb

1

: to pay back to someone : repay

reimburse travel expenses

2

: to make restoration or payment of an equivalent to

reimburse him for his traveling expenses

reimbursable

ˌrē-əm-ˈbər-sə-bəl 

adjective

reimbursement

ˌrē-əm-ˈbərs-mənt 

noun

reimbursement

2 of 2

noun

re·​im·​burse·​ment

plural -s

: the action of reimbursing : repayment

make direct reimbursements to private corporations for federal income taxes

—New Republic

reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenditures

Synonyms of reimburse

Verb

• repay
• compensate

Choose the Right Synonym for reimburse

pay, compensate, remunerate, satisfy, reimburse, indemnify, repay, recompense mean to give money or its equivalent in return for something.

pay implies the discharge of an obligation incurred.

paid their bills

compensate implies a making up for services rendered.

an attorney well compensated for her services

remunerate clearly suggests paying for services rendered and may extend to payment that is generous or not contracted for.

promised to remunerate the searchers handsomely

satisfy implies paying a person what is required by law.

all creditors will be satisfied in full

reimburse implies a return of money that has been spent for another's benefit.

reimbursed employees for expenses

indemnify implies making good a loss suffered through accident, disaster, warfare.

indemnified the families of the dead miners

repay stresses paying back an equivalent in kind or amount.

repay a favor with a favor

recompense suggests due return in amends, friendly repayment, or reward.

passengers were recompensed for the delay

Examples of reimburse in a Sentence

Verb

make sure you keep your receipts so we can reimburse you for your expenses

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Under a 2004 settlement agreement, Duncan had to pay over $16,000 in civil penalties and reimburse the state almost $22,000 for wells Illinois’ DNR had plugged. — Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 22 June 2026

As part of its spending package passed in February, Congress voted to allow Medicare to reimburse the cost of multicancer detection tests starting in 2028. — Yuki Noguchi, NPR, 22 June 2026

Loaves & Fishes will receive recovered protein and produce at no cost from Hunger at Home, which will be reimbursed for the cost of recovering and delivering the ingredients. — Sal Pizarro, Mercury News, 20 June 2026

Most of that spending will not be reimbursed, according to the county counsel. — Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 18 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

re- + obsolete English imburse to put in the pocket, pay, from Medieval Latin imbursare, from Latin in- in- + Medieval Latin bursa purse — more at purse

Noun

probably from French remboursement, from Middle French, from rembourser to reimburse (from re- + embourser to pocket money) + -ment

First Known Use

Verb

1511, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for reimburse

• adverse
• averse
• coerce
• disburse
• disperse
• diverse
• immerse
• inverse
• obverse
• perverse
• rehearse
• reverse

Kids Definition

reimburse

verb

re·​im·​burse ˌrē-əm-ˈbərs 

reimbursed; reimbursing

: to pay back : repay

reimburse travel expenses

reimbursable

-ˈbər-sə-bəl 

adjective

reimbursement

-ˈbər-smənt 

noun

Etymology

Verb

from re- "again, back" and obsolete imburse "pay, put in the pocket," from Latin imbursare (same meaning), from earlier in- "in" and bursa "purse, small leather bag" — related to disburse, purse

Legal Definition

reimburse

transitive verb

re·​im·​burse ˌrē-əm-ˈbərs 

reimbursed; reimbursing

1

: to pay back (a sum lost or expended) to someone

will reimburse the court costs

2

: to make restoration or payment of an equivalent to

reimburse the employee for travel expenses

reimbursement noun