What does remise mean?
Remise is an uncommon formal noun with two established senses. In general usage, it means the surrender or relinquishment of property, rights, possession, or a claim. It can therefore describe a formal transfer or the act of giving something up, usually with implications that the act is deliberate and final. In fencing, a remise is an attack that lands on the opponent, as distinct from a thrust that misses or a defensive withdrawal. The word is most often encountered in legal or historical writing, although fencing texts preserve its specialized sporting meaning. In ordinary conversation, surrender or relinquishment will usually be clearer and more familiar. Remise is notable for shifting from an idea of release or transfer to a precise term for a successful fencing attack, and its rarity gives even its general legal sense a formal, traditional character.
nounA formal surrender, relinquishment, or transfer of property or rights; also, in fencing, a thrust that hits the opponent.
- A formal surrender, relinquishment, or transfer of property, rights, or possession.
- A thrust or attack in fencing that hits the opponent.
"The fencer ended the exchange with a precise remise."
"The agreement documented the remise of the property to the trustees."
"With one clean remise, the champion won the final exchange."
The plural is possible but rarely needed because the general legal sense is uncommon.
"The judges recorded several remises during the final bout."
In fencing, a remise is not a withdrawal but the opposite: an attack that successfully touches the opponent.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does remise come from?
The word comes from French remise, the feminine past participle used as a noun, from remettre, “to send back” or “put back.” These forms trace to Latin remittere, formed from re-, meaning “back,” and mittere, meaning “send.” The English word developed in the sense of a surrender or handing over, while the technical fencing sense refers to putting the point effectively onto the opponent.
Related word forms
How remise is actually used
Outside fencing, the word is rare and belongs mainly to legal, historical, or formal usage. Its fencing sense is technical and contrasts with a defensive withdrawal.
Easily confused with remise
A remise is a surrender or relinquishment, whereas to remit something is to send it, pay it, or excuse the obligation to pay it.