# restitution

/ˌɹɛstɪˈtuʃən/ (US) · /ɹɪstɪtjˈuːʃən/ (UK)

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

## Senses

### 1. legal compensation

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal · Technical

payment made to someone to cover the cost of damage or loss you caused.

For teachers: the act of making good or compensating for loss, damage, or injury, often as a court-ordered requirement.

- The judge ordered the thief to make full restitution to the victims.
- The court mandated that the corporation make full financial restitution to the local residents affected by the chemical spill.

Usage: Often used with the verb 'make' or 'order'.

### 2. returning property

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

the act of returning something that was lost or stolen to its original owner.

For teachers: the restoration of property or rights to their original state or to their rightful owner.

- The museum is discussing the restitution of ancient statues to their home country.
- International treaties often govern the restitution of cultural artifacts looted during times of conflict.

Usage: Commonly followed by the preposition 'of'.

### 3. childbirth movement

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a natural turn the baby's head makes after it is born to line up with its shoulders.

For teachers: the spontaneous rotation of the fetal head after delivery to align with the shoulders.

- The doctor watched for restitution to ensure the baby was moving correctly.
- Restitution occurs as the fetal head aligns with the shoulders, which remain in the oblique diameter of the pelvic brim.

Usage: Used as an uncountable noun in clinical descriptions of labor.

## Examples

- The court ordered the thief to make full restitution to the victims.
- After the museum discovered the artifacts were stolen decades ago, they arranged for their immediate restitution to the original country.
- The legal settlement focused on financial restitution for the affected families, though many argued that no amount of money could truly compensate for the environmental damage caused by the spill.

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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.