remit

1 of 2

verb

re·​mit ri-ˈmit 

remitted; remitting

transitive verb

1

a

: to lay aside (a mood or disposition) partly or wholly

b

: to desist from (an activity)

c

: to let (attention or diligence) slacken : relax

2

a

: to release from the guilt or penalty of

remit sins

b

: to refrain from exacting

remit a tax

c

: to cancel or refrain from inflicting

remit the penalty

d

: to give relief from (suffering)

3

: to submit or refer for consideration, judgment, decision, or action

specifically : remand

4

: to restore or consign to a former status or condition

5

: postpone, defer

6

: to send (money) to a person or place especially in payment of a demand, account, or draft

intransitive verb

1

a

: to abate in force or intensity : moderate

b

: to abate symptoms (as of a disease) for a period

2

: to send money (as in payment)

remitment

ri-ˈmit-mənt 

noun

remittable

ri-ˈmi-tə-bəl 

adjective

remitter noun

remit

2 of 2

noun

re·​mit ri-ˈmit 

ˈrē-ˌmit

1

British : an area of responsibility or authority

—usually singular

The problem was outside/beyond our remit.

The BBC simply no longer sees producing Shakespeare as part of its remit as a public service television broadcaster.

—John Morrison

2

: an act of remitting

3

: something remitted to another person or authority

Synonyms

Verb

• abate
• de-escalate
• decline
• decrease
• die (away or down or out)
• diminish
• drain (away)
• drop (off)
• dwindle
• ease
• ebb
• fall
• fall away
• lessen
• let up
• lower
• moderate
• pall
• phase down
• ratchet (down)
• rachet (down)
• recede
• relent
• shrink
• subside
• taper
• taper off
• wane

Examples of remit in a Sentence

Verb

A patient who has mild flare-ups in the skin and joints twice a year may one day awaken with kidney failure or paralysis that, one month later, mysteriously remits. —Elizabeth Rosenthal, New York Times Book Review, 19 Nov. 1989

And he was, therefore, as little surprised as a man could be, to find himself awakened at the small inn to which he had been remitted until morning, in the middle of the night. —Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities, 1859

I was brought in guilty and sentenced to die; but that the judges, having been made sensible of the hardship of my circumstances, had obtained leave to remit the sentence upon my consenting to be transported. —Daniel Defoe, Moll Flanders, 1722

Please remit $1,000 upon receipt of this letter.

Payment can be remitted by check.

The governor remitted the remainder of her life sentence.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The administration has empowered ICE and expanded its enforcement remit, with it now able to conduct raids in or near sensitive locations such as churches, hospitals, and schools. —Lee Habeeb, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Apr. 2025

Failure to register, collect, or remit VAT may lead to civil, administrative, and even criminal penalties. —Aleksandra Bal, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025

Noun

Paul Mitchell’s remit has been to make Newcastle’s expenditure more sustainable and within the rules. —Chris Waugh, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2025

The magazine’s remit was broad: writers covered mountaineering and triathletes, rodeo queens and road trips. —Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English remitten "to send back (to prison), refer, pass on, surrender, waive, forgive," borrowed from Latin remittere "to send back, refer, release, relax, ease off, waive (a debt, punishment)," from re- re- + mittere "to release, let go, send (for a purpose)" — more at admit entry 1

Noun

Middle English remyt "pardon," noun derivative of remitten "to remit entry 1"

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing remit

• remit to

Rhymes for remit

• acquit
• admit
• amrit
• armpit
• backlit
• befit
• cockpit
• commit
• dalit
• dendrite
• emit
• illite

Kids Definition

remit

1 of 2 verb

re·​mit ri-ˈmit 

remitted; remitting

1

a

: to release from the guilt or penalty of : pardon

remit sins

b

: to keep from demanding or calling for

remit a penalty

2

: to give over for consideration, judgment, decision, or action

remit the proposal to a special committee

3

: to send money especially in payment

4

: to lessen in intensity or severity often temporarily : moderate

the fever had remitted

remitment

-ˈmit-mənt 

noun

remittable

-ˈmit-ə-bəl 

adjective

remitter noun

remit

2 of 2 noun

1

: an act of remitting

2

: something remitted to another person or authority

Medical Definition

remit

intransitive verb

re·​mit ri-ˈmit 

remitted; remitting

: to abate symptoms for a period : go into or be in remission

her leukemia remitted for a year

Legal Definition

remit

verb

re·​mit ri-ˈmit 

remitted; remitting

transitive verb

1

a

: to release from the guilt or penalty of

b

: to refrain from exacting

remit a tax

c

: to cancel or refrain from inflicting

remit the fine

2

: to submit or refer for consideration, judgment, decision, or action

specifically : remand

3

: to restore or consign to a former status or condition

4

: to send (money) to a person or place especially in payment of a demand, account, or draft

intransitive verb

: to send money (as in payment)

remitment noun

remittable adjective

Etymology

Verb

Latin remittere to let go back, send back, give up, forgive, from re- back + mittere to let go, send