Return — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun adjective /ri-ˈtərn/ re·turn

Meaning & Definition of Return

Return (verb)

  1. to go back or come back again
  2. to go back in thought, practice, or condition, revert
  3. to pass back to an earlier possessor

Return (noun)

  1. the act of coming back to or from a place or condition
  2. a regular or frequent returning, recurrence
  3. the act of taking someone or something back to the proper place

Return (adjective)

  1. having or formed by a change of direction
  2. doubled on itself
  3. played, delivered, or given in return

Return (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to bring, send, or put back to a former or proper place

    "when I'm done reading a book, I always return it to the very shelf I got it from"

    similar: replace, restore
    related: reconvey
    near: remove, take

  2. to produce as revenue

    "this technology stock is expected to return a healthy profit"

    similar: bear, give, pay, yield
    related: bring in, net, afford, furnish, provide, supply, pay off

  3. to speak or write in reaction to a question or to another reaction

    "when I asked him to sit down to dinner, he returned that he would come when he was good and ready"

    similar: answer, come back, rejoin, reply, respond, retort, riposte
    related: acknowledge, comment, communicate, correspond, react, remark, counter, defend, deny, explain, field, rebut, refute
    opposite: ask, inquire, question
    near: challenge, cross-examine, examine, grill, interrogate, pump, quiz, poll, query, survey

  4. to go back to a previous and usually lower state or level

    "vowed to do anything to keep the recovering alcoholic from returning to his dissolute ways"

    similar: regress, retrogress, revert
    related: backslide, lapse, relapse, throw back, ebb, decline, degenerate, drop, fall, retrograde, worsen
    opposite: advance, develop, evolve, progress
    near: grow, mature, ripen

Return (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. something spoken or written in reaction especially to a question

    "I was moved by my grandfather's lengthy return to my casual question about his experiences in the Vietnam War"

    similar: answer, comeback, rejoinder, replication, reply, response, retort
    related: back talk, banter, persiflage, repartee, acknowledgment, comment, communication, correspondence, feedback, non sequitur, observation, reaction, remark, defense, explanation, justification, plea, rebuttal, refutation
    opposite: inquiry, query, question
    near: challenge, charge, cross-examination, grilling, interrogation, interrogatory, quiz, poll, questionnaire, survey

  2. an increase usually measured in money that comes from labor, business, or property

    "if we buy better equipment, we'll be able to make the product faster, thus getting a better return on our investment"

    similar: earnings, gain(s), income, incoming(s), proceeds, profit, revenue, yield
    related: killing, windfall, salary, take-home pay, tips, wages, bankroll, capital, coffers, exchequer, finances, funds, money, pocket, pocketbook, resources, wherewithal
    near: charge, cost, disbursement, expenditures, expenses, outgo, outlay

  3. the amount of money left when expenses are subtracted from the total amount received

    "the return on each unit sold has increased since we streamlined the production process"

    similar: earnings, gain, lucre, net, payoff, proceeds, profit
    related: cleanup, killing, windfall, bottom line, gross, sales, compensation, emolument, income, pay, payment, remittal, requital, salary, wages, interest, revenue, yield
    near: charge, cost, disbursement, expenditure, expense, loss, outgo, outlay

Related Entry: Point of no return (phrase)

Point of no return is a different word from Return. The synonyms below are for point of no return, not for return.

  1. a time or state of affairs requiring prompt or decisive action

    "We've reached the point of no return and have no choice but to see this through."

    similar: boiling point, breaking point, clutch, conjuncture, crisis, crossroad(s), crunch, crunch time, Dunkirk, emergency, exigency, extremity, flash point, head, juncture, tinderbox, zero hour, moment of truth
    related: contingency, possibility, climax, turning point, happening, landmark, milestone, condition, pass, situation, strait, deadlock, impasse, stalemate, corner, fix, hole, hot water, jam, last ditch, pinch, predicament, scrape, spot, eleventh hour, last minute

Related Entry: Points of no return (phrase)

Points of no return is a different word from Return. The synonyms below are for points of no return, not for return.

  1. a time or state of affairs requiring prompt or decisive action

    "We've reached the point of no return and have no choice but to see this through."

    similar: boiling points, breaking points, clutches, conjunctures, crises, crossroads, crunches, crunch times, Dunkirks, emergencies, exigencies, extremities, flash points, heads, junctures, tinderboxes, zero hours, moments of truth
    related: contingencies, possibilities, climaxes, turning points, happenings, landmarks, milestones, conditions, passes, situations, straits, deadlocks, impasses, stalemates, corners, fixes, holes, hot waters, jams, last ditches, pinches, predicaments, scrapes, spots, eleventh hours, last minutes

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Return

The most common words with a similar meaning to Return:

replace, restore, bear, give, pay, yield, answer, come back, rejoin, reply, respond, retort, riposte, regress, retrogress, revert, comeback, rejoinder, replication, response, earnings, gain(s), income, incoming(s), proceeds, profit, revenue, gain, lucre, net, payoff

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Return

Words with the opposite meaning of Return:

ask, inquire, question, advance, develop, evolve, progress, inquiry, query

Related Words for Return

reconvey, bring in, afford, furnish, provide, supply, pay off, acknowledge, comment, communicate, correspond, react, remark, counter, defend, deny, explain, field, rebut, refute, backslide, lapse, relapse, throw back, ebb, decline, degenerate, drop, fall, retrograde

Near Antonyms of Return

remove, take, challenge, cross-examine, examine, grill, interrogate, pump, quiz, poll, survey, grow, mature, ripen, charge, cross-examination, grilling, interrogation, interrogatory, questionnaire, cost, disbursement, expenditures, expenses, outgo, outlay, expenditure, expense, loss

Word Forms of Return

Inflections: returned, returning, returns

Derived words: returner (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Return

Middle English, from Anglo-French returner, from re- + turner, tourner to turn turn

First known use: 14th centuryi

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Return

Words & Phrases Containing Return

return address, return envelope, return fire, return game, return match, return someone's call, return someone's fire

Frequently Asked Questions about Return

What does "Return" mean?

"Return" means to go back or come back again. As an a verb, a noun and an adjective, it is defined as: to go back or come back again. It has 7 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Return"?

Other words for "Return" include replace, restore, bear, give, pay, yield, answer and come back. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Return" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Return"?

There are 106 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Return". Common alternatives include replace, restore, bear, give, pay, yield, answer, come back, rejoin and reply.

What is the opposite of "Return"?

Antonyms of "Return" include ask, inquire, question, advance, develop, evolve, progress and inquiry. Near antonyms include remove, take, challenge and cross-examine.

How do you use "Return" in a sentence?

Examples of "Return" in a sentence: "when I'm done reading a book, I always return it to the very shelf I got it from"; "this technology stock is expected to return a healthy profit"; "when I asked him to sit down to dinner, he returned that he would come when he was good and ready".

Is "Return" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Return" can be used as a verb, a noun and an adjective, depending on the context.

Is "Return" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B1-level word, "Return" is typical of Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET), IELTS band 4.0–5.0, TOEFL iBT 42–71, PTE Academic 43–58, TOEIC Listening & Reading 550+.

How do you pronounce "Return"?

"Return" is pronounced /ri-ˈtərn/ and divided into syllables as re·turn.