reimbursement

/riɪmˈbʌrsmɪnt/

/riɪmˈbʌsmənt/

Other forms: reimbursements

A reimbursement is a repayment for money you've already spent. When you travel for work, you get a reimbursement for your work-related expenses, like hotel bills and plane tickets, but you'll have to pay for that trip to the circus yourself.

Reimbursement comes from the Latin root words re, meaning again; in, meaning into; and bursa, meaning purse. So the word reimbursement literally means in a purse again. After your parents' basement flooded, they paid to repair the damage and then got a reimbursement from the insurance company, so that they could put the money they spent in their purse again.

Definitions of reimbursement

1. noun

   compensation paid (to someone) for damages or losses or money already spent etc.
   “he received reimbursement for his travel expenses”

   types:

   allowance

   a sum granted as reimbursement for expenses

   breakage

   reimbursement for goods damaged while in transit or in use

   costs

   pecuniary reimbursement to the winning party for the expenses of litigation

   per diem

   a daily allowance for living expenses (especially while traveling in connection with your job)

   travel allowance, travel reimbursement

   a sum allowed for travel

   type of:

   compensation

   something (such as money) given or received as payment or reparation (as for a service or loss or injury)