Return definition
To answer or respond.
I said hello to him, and he returned in kind.
verb
To revert to a former owner.
verb
To go or come back, as to an earlier condition or place.
She returned to her office after lunch.
verb
To send, put, or carry back.
We return bottles to the store.
verb
To revert in speech, thought, or practice.
I returned to my knitting after answering the phone.
verb
Advertisement
To revert to a former owner.
verb
To return is defined as to go back to someone or something, or to put something back.
An example of to return is life going back to normal after a chaotic event.
An example of to return is someone bringing a borrowed item back to the owner.
verb
To produce or yield (profit or interest) as a payment for labor, investment, or expenditure.
verb
To elect or reelect, as to a legislative body.
verb
(games) To respond to (a partner's lead) by leading the same suit in cards.
verb
Advertisement
(architecture) To turn away from or place at an angle to the previous line of direction.
verb
To give or send back in reciprocation.
She returned his praise.
verb
To give back to the owner.
He returned her book.
verb
To reflect or send back.
The echo was returned by the canyon wall.
verb
To submit (an official report, for example) to a judge or other person in authority.
verb
Advertisement
To render or deliver (a writ or verdict, for example) to the proper officer or court of law.
verb
(sports) To hit or send back (a tennis ball, for example) to one's opponent.
verb
(football) To run with (the ball) after a kickoff, punt, interception, or fumble.
verb
A recurrence, as of a periodic occasion or event.
The return of spring.
noun
Something exchanged for that received; repayment.
noun
Advertisement
A reply; a response.
noun
(games) A lead in certain card games that responds to the lead of one's partner.
noun
(sports) In tennis and certain other sports:
- The act of hitting or sending the ball back to one's opponent.
- The ball thus sent back.
noun
(chiefly british) A roundtrip ticket.
noun
A formal tax statement on the required official form indicating taxable income, allowed deductions, exemptions, and the computed tax that is due.
noun
Advertisement
The act or condition of going, coming, bringing, or sending back.
After my return, we can discuss this matter further.
noun
The act of bringing or sending something back to a previous place, condition, or owner.
The late return of a library book.
noun
Something brought or sent back.
noun
Merchandise returned, as to a retailer by a consumer or to a wholesaler by a retailer.
noun
Something that goes or comes back.
noun
Advertisement
The profit made on an exchange of goods.
noun
A profit or yield, as from labor or investments.
noun
Output or yield per unit rather than cost per unit, as in the manufacturing of a particular product.
noun
A report, list, or set of statistics, especially one that is formal or official.
noun
A report on the vote in an election.
noun
Advertisement
(chiefly british) An election.
noun
The act of running back the ball after a kickoff, punt, interception, or fumble.
noun
The yardage so gained.
noun
The extension of a molding, projection, or other part at an angle (usually 90°) to the main part.
noun
A part of a building set at an angle to the façade.
noun
Advertisement
A turn, bend, or similar reversal of direction, as in a stream or road.
noun
A pipe or conduit for carrying something, especially water, back to its starting point.
noun
The key or mechanism on a machine, such as a typewriter, that positions the carriage or printing element at the beginning of a new line.
noun
A key on a computer keyboard or keypad used to begin a new line or paragraph in a text editor.
noun
The bringing or sending back of a writ, subpoena, or other document, generally with a short written report on it, by a sheriff or other officer to the court from which it was issued.
noun
Advertisement
A certified report by an assessor, election officer, collector, or other official.
noun
Of, relating to, or bringing about a going or coming back to a place or situation.
The return voyage; a return envelope.
adjective
Given, sent, or done in reciprocation or exchange.
A return volley; a return invitation.
adjective
Performed, presented, or taking place again.
A return engagement of the ballet; a return tennis match.
adjective
Returning or affording return or recirculation.
A return plumbing pipe; a return valve.
adjective
Advertisement
Having or formed by a reversal or change in direction; returning on itself, as a bend in a road or stream.
adjective
To go or come back, as to a former place, condition, practice, opinion, etc.
verb
To go back in thought or speech.
To return to the subject.
verb
To answer; reply; retort.
verb
To bring, send, carry, or put back; restore or replace.
verb
To give, send, or do (something equivalent to what has been given, sent, or done); give, send, or do in requital or reciprocation.
To return a visit, compliment, etc.
verb
To produce (a profit, revenue, etc.); yield.
verb
To elect or reelect, as to a legislature.
verb
To replace (a weapon) in its holder.
verb
To turn back or in the opposite direction.
verb
To reflect (sound, light, etc.)
verb
(archit.) To turn away from, or cause to continue on at an angle to, the previous line of direction.
verb
(card games) To respond to (one's partner's lead) with a lead of the same suit.
verb
(law) To render (a verdict)
verb
(sports) To hit, throw, or run back (a ball)
verb
To report or announce officially or formally.
verb
To turn in (a writ, account, or statement) to a judge or other official.
verb
A coming or going back, as to a former place, condition, etc.
noun
A bringing, sending, carrying, or putting back; restoration or replacement.
noun
A coming back again; reappearance; recurrence.
Many happy returns of the day.
noun
An answer; reply; retort.
noun
A report.
- An official or formal report, as of the financial condition of a company.
- A report on a count of votes at polling places.Election returns.
- A form on which taxable income is reported and tax is computed.
noun
(card games) A lead in response to one's partner's lead.
noun
Something returned.
noun
Unsold merchandise returned to the distributor by a retailer or merchandise returned to a retailer by a purchaser.
noun
Profit made on an exchange of goods.
noun
Yield, profit, or revenue, as from labor, investments, etc.
noun
Yield per unit as compared to cost per unit; rate of yield.
noun
The continuation, as of a molding or colonnade, in a different direction, often at a right angle.
noun
A bend or turn, as in a line or wall.
noun
The section between two such bends.
noun
The bringing or sending back of a writ, subpoena, summons, etc. to the proper court or official.
noun
A certified report by an election official, assessor, etc.
noun
A court officer's endorsement on any such document.
noun
A hitting or throwing back of a ball.
noun
A ball so returned.
noun
A running back of a football received on a kick or by an interception.
noun
Of or for a return or returning.
Return postage.
adjective
Given, sent, done, etc. in return.
A return match.
adjective
Occurring again.
A return performance.
adjective
Returning or returned.
adjective
Changing or reversing direction or formed by a change or reversal in direction, as a bend in a road.
adjective
An officer of the court’s bringing back a court-issued document, such as a writ, and reporting how the officer had done or why he had not done what that document had ordered.
noun
An income tax return.
noun
(intransitive) To come or go back (to a place or person).
Although the birds fly north for the summer, they return here in winter.
verb
To give something back to its original holder or owner.
You should return the library book within one month.
verb
To take something back to a retailer for a refund.
If the goods don't work, you can return them.
verb
To give in requital or recompense; to requite.
verb
(computing) To pass (data) back to the calling procedure.
This function returns the number of files in the directory.
verb
The act of returning.
I expect the house to be spotless upon my return.
noun
A return ticket.
Do you want a one-way or a return?
noun
An item that is returned, e.g. due to a defect.
Last year there were 250 returns of this product, an improvement on the 500 returns the year before.
noun
(finance) Gain or loss from an investment.
It yielded a return of 5%.
noun
(taxation, finance): A report of income submitted to a government for purposes of specifying exact tax payment amounts. A tax return.
Hand in your return by the end of the tax year.
noun
(computing) The act of relinquishing control to the calling procedure.
noun
(computing) A return value: the data passed back from a called procedure.
noun
(American football) Catching a ball after a punt and running it back towards the opposing team.
noun
Reversing or changing direction.
adjective
Something done or given as an equivalent for that received; repayment; requital; reciprocation.
noun
in return
- In repayment or reciprocation.
idiom
in return
- as a return; as an equivalent, response, etc.
idiom
Origin of return
- Middle English retornen from Old French retourner from Vulgar Latin retornāre Latin re- re- Latin tornāre to turn in a lathe turn
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
- From Middle English returnen, retornen, from Anglo-Norman returner, from Old French retourner, retorner, from Medieval Latin retornare (“to turn back"), from re- + tornare (“to turn"). Compare beturn.
From Wiktionary