# returned

/ɹiˈtɝnd/ (US) · /ɹɪtˈɜːnd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/returned
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. went back

verb · CEFR A2

went back to a place you were at before.

For teachers: the past tense of the intransitive verb 'return', indicating the subject moved back to a previous location.

- After three years living abroad, he finally returned to his hometown.
- The explorers returned to the base camp exhausted, having spent three weeks navigating the dense jungle without reliable radio contact.

### 2. gave back

verb · CEFR A2

gave or sent something back to its owner or to a shop.

For teachers: the past tense of the transitive verb 'return', indicating the restoration of an object to its rightful place or owner.

- She returned the library books two days after the due date.
- The customer returned the defective hardware to the manufacturer, demanding a full refund under the terms of the warranty.

### 3. military service

adjective · CEFR B2 · Formal

describes a soldier who has come back home after serving in a war.

For teachers: denoting a person who has come back from active military service, often after being discharged.

- The town held a small parade to welcome the returned soldiers.
- The government established new support programmes specifically designed to assist returned veterans with their transition back into civilian employment.

### 4. financial profit

adjective · CEFR C1 · Technical · Academic

describes money that has been earned as a profit from an investment.

For teachers: referring to the yield or profit generated from a financial investment or capital outlay.

- The returned profit on the stock was higher than the bank expected.
- The fund manager analysed the returned capital from the real estate portfolio to determine the overall success of the quarterly strategy.

## Examples

- She returned the faulty laptop to the store for a refund.
- The investment portfolio returned a ten percent profit within the first fiscal quarter of the year.
- While the customer returned the damaged goods promptly, the accounting department struggled to process the credit note before the end of the monthly billing cycle.

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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.