What does recoupable mean?
Recoupable means able to be recovered, reclaimed, or compensated for. It is used especially when discussing money already spent or a loss that may be made good, as in recoupable expenses, costs, losses, or damages. The term can apply to individual payments or to an entire category of expenditure, depending on the context. In business and legal writing, it conveys that a financial setback is not necessarily permanent: the money may be returned, reimbursed, or recovered through compensation. A related use is the idea that damages or losses can be recouped from another party. Recoupable is more specialized and formal than recoverable, although the two words overlap closely in meaning. It is useful when precision matters because it points directly to the possibility of regaining a specific expense or loss rather than simply suggesting that something can be recovered.
adjectiveCapable of being recovered or regained, especially after an expense, loss, or other setback. It may also refer to something that can be compensated for or made good.
- Capable of being recovered, reclaimed, or compensated for.
"The company sought reimbursement for the travel costs, arguing that they were recoupable under the contract."
"The tribunal ruled that the respondent's legal costs were recoupable from the award."
"The tour operator promised customers that the cost of the cancelled holiday would be recoupable through a full refund."
Recoupable is the word for a loss you can get back: it turns a setback into something that can at least partly be undone.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does recoupable come from?
Recoupable was formed in English by adding the suffix -able to recoup, a word borrowed from French. French recouper ultimately relates to Latin recuperare, meaning “to recover” or “to regain,” from re- and capere, “to take.” The same Latin foundation appears in English cognates such as recuperate, recuperable, and recovery.
How recoupable is actually used
The word is formal and particularly common in financial, commercial, insurance, and legal contexts. It is less usual in casual conversation than the more general recoverable.
Easily confused with recoupable
Both words mean capable of being regained, but recoverable is the broader and more familiar term, while recoupable is especially associated with expenses, losses, and financial or legal costs.