Word
reimbursement
Phoneticsre·im·burse·ment, stress on the third syllable
US/ˌɹiɪmˈbɝsmənt/
UK/ɹˌiːɪmbˈɜːsmənt/
Countable & uncountable
Definition
n. the act of paying someone back for money they have already spent. You usually get this from your company after you pay for things like travel or meals for work.
n. the repayment of funds previously expended by an individual on behalf of an organization or for a specific purpose. Often involves a formal process of submitting receipts for verification.
Examples
“I am waiting for my travel reimbursement from the office.”
“The company policy requires employees to submit all receipts within thirty days to qualify for full reimbursement.”
“The finance department streamlined the reimbursement process to ensure that consultants are compensated for out-of-pocket expenses within one business week.”
Examples
simple
“I am waiting for my travel reimbursement from the office.”
contextual
“The company policy requires employees to submit all receipts within thirty days to qualify for full reimbursement.”
complex
“The finance department streamlined the reimbursement process to ensure that consultants are compensated for out-of-pocket expenses within one business week.”
Usage
Uncountable when referring to the general act of paying back; countable when referring to specific payments or instances.
Pitfall
I asked for a refund for my business trip.
I asked for a reimbursement for my business trip.
A 'refund' is money returned by a seller to a customer; 'reimbursement' is money returned by an employer to an employee for expenses.
Real-World Examples
“But that federal funding is paid as reimbursements, and the work has been slow .” “The US chain said it received a $994 million pre-tax reimbursement, which resulted in its second quarter operating income rising to $2.6bn.” Etymology
From reimburse + -ment.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/reimbursement