# reimburse

/ˌɹiɪmˈbɝs/ (US) · /ɹˌiːɪmbˈɜːs/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/reimburse
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. to pay someone back

verb · CEFR B2 · Formal

to give someone back the money they spent on your behalf or for work.

For teachers: to compensate a person for money they have already expended. Transitive — requires a direct object representing the person or the amount.

- The company will reimburse you for your travel expenses after you submit the receipts.
- The university agreed to reimburse the visiting professor for all reasonable costs associated with his international flight and accommodation.

Usage: Commonly used with the preposition 'for' to indicate the reason for the payment.

### 2. to recoup funds

verb · CEFR C1 · Technical · Formal

to get back money that was spent from a specific fund or account.

For teachers: to recoup or restore a specific sum of money that has been spent. Often used in technical or financial contexts regarding budgets.

- The department needs to reimburse the petty cash fund by the end of the month.
- The insurance payout allowed the firm to reimburse the capital reserves that had been depleted during the emergency repairs.

Usage: In this sense, the direct object is the money or the fund being restored, rather than a person.

## Examples

- The company will reimburse you for your travel costs.
- Please keep all your original receipts so the accounting department can reimburse your out-of-pocket expenses.
- Under the terms of the insurance policy, the provider is obligated to reimburse the homeowner for any structural repairs necessitated by the storm damage.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.