repatriate

verb

re·​pa·​tri·​ate (ˌ)rē-ˈpā-trē-ˌāt How to pronounce repatriate (audio)
-ˈpa-
repatriated; repatriating

transitive verb

: to restore or return to the country of origin, allegiance, or citizenship
repatriate prisoners of war
repatriate
(ˌ)rē-ˈpā-trē-ət How to pronounce repatriate (audio)
-trē-ˌāt
-ˈpa-
noun

Example Sentences

Countries are required to repatriate prisoners of war when conflict has ended.
Recent Examples on the Web Some 1,300 Ivorians have signed up to be repatriated so far, French public radio network Radio France Internationale reported Saturday. Claire Parker, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2023 They later were identified as the partial remains of six ancestors of the Santa Ynez Chumash that were supposed to have been repatriated in 2018. Graham Lee Brewer, NBC News, 5 Mar. 2023 In the intervening years, the museum repatriated the remains of at least 156 Native Americans, most of them to the Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma. Logan Jaffe, ProPublica, 30 Mar. 2023 Rodriguez told reporters that the Mexican foreign ministry has been in contact with Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Venezuela to identify the victims, repatriate their bodies and support the families of those affected. Karol Suarez, CNN, 30 Mar. 2023 In this setting, fragile remains repatriated in crates will inevitably fall into neglect or worse. Paul Sereno, Chicago Tribune, 24 Mar. 2023 But that kind of reconstruction will also require the club to repatriate some of the prospects who eluded its grasp in the recent past, the players whose successes elsewhere effectively function as an ongoing rebuke of P.S.G.’s failure to make the most of the talent on its doorstep. Rory Smith, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2023 McGee and Williams were repatriated to the United States. Kerry Breen, CBS News, 9 Mar. 2023 According to Tayler, 11 British citizens have been repatriated from Syria, and at least 60 others are believed to remain in the country. Karla Adam, Washington Post, 22 Feb. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'repatriate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin repatriatus, past participle of repatriare to go home again — more at repair entry 3

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of repatriate was in 1611

Dictionary Entries Near repatriate

Cite this Entry

“Repatriate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/repatriate. Accessed 3 Jun. 2023.

Kids Definition

repatriate

1 of 2 verb
re·​pa·​tri·​ate
(ˈ)rē-ˈpā-trē-ˌāt,
-ˈpa-
repatriated; repatriating
: to return to the country of origin, allegiance, or citizenship
repatriate prisoners of war
repatriation
(ˌ)rē-ˌpā-trē-ˈā-shən
-ˌpa-
noun

repatriate

2 of 2 noun
re·​pa·​tri·​ate
(ˈ)rē-ˈpā-trē-ət,
-tre-ˌāt
: one that is repatriated
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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