restitution

noun

res·​ti·​tu·​tion ˌre-stə-ˈtü-shən How to pronounce restitution (audio)
-ˈtyü-
1
: an act of restoring or a condition of being restored: such as
a
: a restoration of something to its rightful owner
b
: a making good of or giving an equivalent for some injury
2
: a legal action serving to cause restoration of a previous state

Examples of restitution in a Sentence

the restitution of her stolen property He was ordered to make restitution to the victim.
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.
Mizuhara, who manipulated Ohtani’s bank records and illegally used Ohtani’s credit cards, was also ordered to pay nearly $17 million in restitution to Ohtani. Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 29 Aug. 2025 Albus, in his federal filing, said that the Chakraverty and the other defendants had agreed to make restitution of the taxes abated between 2021 and 2024. Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 29 Aug. 2025 However, under a plea deal unveiled Tuesday, Borgwardt changed his plea to no contest and agreed to pay $30,000 in restitution to law enforcement to cover what was spent trying to locate him. Greg Norman, FOXNews.com, 28 Aug. 2025 Christopher Talbot, 70, also was forced to pay more than $7,000 in restitution, attend an anger management class and apologize to his 49-year-old victim. Shannon Tyler, Idaho Statesman, 26 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for restitution

Word History

Etymology

Middle English restitucioun, from Anglo-French, from Latin restitution-, restitutio, from restituere to restore, from re- + statuere to set up — more at statute

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of restitution was in the 14th century

Cite this Entry

“Restitution.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/restitution. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

restitution

noun
res·​ti·​tu·​tion ˌres-tə-ˈt(y)ü-shən How to pronounce restitution (audio)
: the giving of something back to its rightful owner or the giving of something of equal value (as for loss or damage)

Legal Definition

restitution

noun
res·​ti·​tu·​tion ˌres-tə-ˈtü-shən, -ˈtyü- How to pronounce restitution (audio)
1
a
: a restoration of something to its rightful owner
b
: a making good of or giving an equivalent for some injury
2
a
: the equitable remedy of restoring to an aggrieved party that which was obtained in unjust enrichment
b
: a remedy for breach of contract that consists of restoring the aggrieved party to the status quo that existed before the contract was made
3
: an amount to be paid for the purpose of restitution
ordered to pay restitution to the victim of his crime
compare fine
restitutional
ˌres-tə-ˈtü-shə-nəl, -ˈtyü-
adjective
restitutionary
ˌres-tə-ˈtü-shə-ˌner-ē, -ˈtyü-
adjective
restitutive
ˈres-tə-ˌtü-tiv, -ˌtyü-
adjective
restitutory
ˌres-tə-ˈtü-tə-rē, -ˈtyü-; rə-ˈsti-tyə-ˌtōr-ē
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on restitution

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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