English Reference
Verb

recoup

v.
C1 Advanced US /ɹɪˈkup/ UK /ɹɪkˈuːp/ re·coup UK spelling recoups Law

v.to get back the money you spent on something. It can also mean to recover your strength or health after a difficult time.

v.to recover an amount of money previously spent or lost; to regain physical strength or mental balance after a period of exhaustion or stress.


SIMPLE

The company needs to recoup its investment before the end of the year.

CONTEXTUAL

After a long and difficult recovery from the surgery, the patient finally managed to recoup her strength and return to work.

COMPLEX

The legal team argued that the defendant should be allowed to recoup the costs of the investigation, as the evidence ultimately proved the plaintiff's claim was fraudulent.

The government has vowed to recoup the clearance costs for the Kidlington dump in Oxfordshire - and seven other sites - from the criminals responsible.

BBC News· 27 Aug 2026

A spokesperson said it said it was not responsible for the decision to recoup taxpayers' money but "administration of a scheme of this scale involves multiple organisations, systems and processes over many years".

BBC News· 27 Aug 2026

From French recouper (“cut short”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin French recouper
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Occasional
Updated