return

re·turn

Use return in a sentence

Elena will return the book that she borrowed from her neighbor as soon as she's finished reading it.

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.

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return

to go or come back, as to a former place, condition, practice, opinion, etc.
to go back in thought or speech: to return to the subject
to revert to a former owner
to answer; reply; retort

Origin of return

Middle English retournen from Old French retourner: see re- and turn

to bring, send, carry, or put back; restore or replace
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.
to produce (a profit, revenue, etc.); yield
1. to report or announce officially or formally
2. to turn in (a writ, account, or statement) to a judge or other official
to elect or reelect, as to a legislature
to replace (a weapon) in its holder
to turn back or in the opposite direction
to reflect (sound, light, etc.)
Archit. to turn away from, or cause to continue on at an angle to, the previous line of direction
Card Games to respond to (one's partner's lead) with a lead of the same suit
Law to render (a verdict)
Sports to hit, throw, or run back (a ball)

a coming or going back, as to a former place, condition, etc.
a bringing, sending, carrying, or putting back; restoration or replacement
1. something returned
2. [pl.] unsold merchandise returned to the distributor by a retailer or merchandise returned to a retailer by a purchaser
a coming back again; reappearance; recurrence: many happy returns of the day
something done or given as an equivalent for that received; repayment; requital; reciprocation
1. profit made on an exchange of goods
2. [often pl.] yield, profit, or revenue, as from labor, investments, etc.
3. yield per unit as compared to cost per unit; rate of yield
an answer; reply; retort
a report; esp.,
1. an official or formal report, as of the financial condition of a company
2. [usually pl.] a report on a count of votes at polling places: election returns
3. a form on which taxable income is reported and tax is computed
  in full (income) tax return
Archit.
1. the continuation, as of a molding or colonnade, in a different direction, often at a right angle
2. a bend or turn, as in a line or wall
3. the section between two such bends
Card Games a lead in response to one's partner's lead
Law
1. the bringing or sending back of a writ, subpoena, summons, etc. to the proper court or official
2. a certified report by an election official, assessor, etc.
3. a court officer's endorsement on any such document
Sports
1. a hitting or throwing back of a ball
2. a ball so returned
3. a running back of a football received on a kick or by an interception

Origin of return

ME retorn < the v.

of or for a return or returning: return postage
given, sent, done, etc. in return: a return match
occurring again: a return performance
returning or returned
changing or reversing direction or formed by a change or reversal in direction, as a bend in a road

return Idioms

in return

as a return; as an equivalent, response, etc.

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return

verb

re·turned, re·turn·ing, re·turns

verb

intransitive

To go or come back, as to an earlier condition or place: She returned to her office after lunch.
To revert in speech, thought, or practice: I returned to my knitting after answering the phone.
To revert to a former owner.
To answer or respond: I said hello to him, and he returned in kind.

verb

transitive

To send, put, or carry back: We return bottles to the store.
a. To give or send back in reciprocation: She returned his praise.
b. To give back to the owner: He returned her book.
c. To reflect or send back: The echo was returned by the canyon wall.
To produce or yield (profit or interest) as a payment for labor, investment, or expenditure.
Law
a. To submit (an official report, for example) to a judge or other person in authority.
b. To render or deliver (a writ or verdict, for example) to the proper officer or court of law.
To elect or reelect, as to a legislative body.
Games To respond to (a partner's lead) by leading the same suit in cards.
Architecture To turn away from or place at an angle to the previous line of direction.
a. Sports To hit or send back (a tennis ball, for example) to one's opponent.
b. Football To run with (the ball) after a kickoff, punt, interception, or fumble.

noun

a. The act or condition of going, coming, bringing, or sending back: After my return, we can discuss this matter further.
b. The act of bringing or sending something back to a previous place, condition, or owner: the late return of a library book.
a. Something brought or sent back.
b. returns Merchandise returned, as to a retailer by a consumer or to a wholesaler by a retailer.
c. Something that goes or comes back.
A recurrence, as of a periodic occasion or event: the return of spring.
Something exchanged for that received; repayment.
A reply; a response.
a. The profit made on an exchange of goods.
b. often returns A profit or yield, as from labor or investments.
c. Output or yield per unit rather than cost per unit, as in the manufacturing of a particular product.
a. A report, list, or set of statistics, especially one that is formal or official.
b. often returns A report on the vote in an election.
c. Chiefly British An election.
Games A lead in certain card games that responds to the lead of one's partner.
Sports In tennis and certain other sports:
a. The act of hitting or sending the ball back to one's opponent.
b. The ball thus sent back.
Football
a. The act of running back the ball after a kickoff, punt, interception, or fumble.
b. The yardage so gained.
Architecture
a. The extension of a molding, projection, or other part at an angle (usually 90°) to the main part.
b. A part of a building set at an angle to the façade.
a. A turn, bend, or similar reversal of direction, as in a stream or road.
b. A pipe or conduit for carrying something, especially water, back to its starting point.
a. 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.
b. A key on a computer keyboard or keypad used to begin a new line or paragraph in a text editor.
Chiefly British A roundtrip ticket.
Law
a. 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.
b. A certified report by an assessor, election officer, collector, or other official.
A formal tax statement on the required official form indicating taxable income, allowed deductions, exemptions, and the computed tax that is due. Also called income tax return . Also called tax return .

adjective

Of, relating to, or bringing about a going or coming back to a place or situation: the return voyage; a return envelope.
Given, sent, or done in reciprocation or exchange: a return volley; a return invitation.
Performed, presented, or taking place again: a return engagement of the ballet; a return tennis match.
Returning or affording return or recirculation: a return plumbing pipe; a return valve.
a. Reversing or changing direction.
b. Having or formed by a reversal or change in direction; returning on itself, as a bend in a road or stream.

Origin of return

Middle English retornen from Old French retourner from Vulgar Latin retornāre Latin re- re- Latin tornāre to turn in a lathe ; see turn .

Related Forms:

re·turn′er
noun

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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Verb

(third-person singular simple present returns, present participle returning, simple past and past participle returned)

(intransitive) To come or go back (to a place or person).
Although the birds fly north for the summer, they return here in winter.
(intransitive) To go back in thought, narration, or argument.
To return to my story [...]
To put (place) something back where it had been.
Please return your hands to your lap.
To give something back to its original holder or owner.
You should return the library book within one month.
To take something back to a retailer for a refund.
If the goods don't work, you can return them.
To give in requital or recompense; to requite.
(tennis) To bat the ball back over the net in response to a serve.
The player couldn't return the serve because it was so fast.
(card games) To play a card as a result of another player's lead.
If one players plays a trump, the others must return a trump.
(cricket) To throw a ball back to the wicket-keeper (a fielder at that position) from somewhere in the field.
To say in reply; to respond.
to return an answer; to return thanks
(intransitive, computing) To relinquish control to the calling procedure.
(computing) To pass (data) back to the calling procedure.
This function returns the number of files in the directory.
(dated) To retort; to throw back.
to return the lie
To report, or bring back and make known.
to return the result of an election
(by extension, UK) To elect according to the official report of the election officers.

Noun

(plural returns)

The act of returning.
I expect the house to be spotless upon my return.
A return ticket.
Do you want a one-way or a return?
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.
(finance) Gain or loss from an investment.
It yielded a return of 5%.
(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.
(computing) A carriage return character.
(computing) The act of relinquishing control to the calling procedure.
(computing) A return value: the data passed back from a called procedure.
A short perpendicular extension of a desk, usually slightly lower.
(American football) Catching a ball after a punt and running it back towards the opposing team.
(cricket) A throw from a fielder to the wicket-keeper or to another fielder at the wicket.

Origin

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.

English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.

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return - Computer Definition

In programming, upon completion of a routine or function, to go back to the point in the program that called the operation. When a function returns control, it may also return a result in the form of a value. For example, "the read function returns a -1 if the read fails" means that if the computer cannot read the file, before returning from the function, it stores a -1 in a variable defined by the programmer. See function. See also Enter key and return code.

Computer Desktop Encyclopedia THIS DEFINITION IS FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY All other reproduction is strictly prohibited without permission from the publisher. © 1981-2017 The Computer Language Company Inc. All rights reserved.

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return - Legal Definition

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.
An income tax return.

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"return." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 15 July 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/RETURN>.

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return

return

return

return - Computer Definition

return - Legal Definition

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return

return

return

return - Computer Definition

return - Legal Definition

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