What does remit mean?
Remit is a versatile word with two widely used pronunciations and several related meanings. As a noun, it means a defined area of responsibility, authority, or work: a department may have a remit to inspect schools or develop policy. The phrase “within the remit of” is particularly common in official and organizational contexts. As a verb, remit means to send money, as in remitting rent or fees, and can also mean to transmit or send something. A less frequent formal sense is to forgive a fault or punishment. The word comes from Latin and originally referred to sending money back. Today, “remit” is especially useful in discussions of government, business, law, and administration because it clearly identifies who is responsible for a particular subject or task. It is concise but formal, and “remit” in the noun sense should not be confused with the more general term “remittance,” which usually refers to money sent.
The scope or area of responsibility assigned to a person or organization; a task or duty given to someone.
"The agency's remit included monitoring air quality and enforcing pollution regulations."
Common in formal British and US administrative, legal, and institutional contexts.
To send money, transmit something, or formally forgive a fault or punishment.
"The publisher agreed to remit the outstanding royalties to the author."
The financial sense is the most common modern use; the forgiveness sense is formal and relatively uncommon.
The plural is used when referring to different areas of responsibility or assigned tasks.
"The two departments have clearly defined remits."
From the Latin remitto, meaning “to send back,” remit has travelled from returning money to describing the boundaries of responsibility.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does remit come from?
The word comes from Latin remitto, formed from remittere, meaning “to send back” or “to send again.” In Latin, it could refer to sending money back or returning something, including a person to the custody of an authority. English adopted the word in the financial sense of sending or paying money, and later developed the noun meaning an assigned task or area of responsibility. Related English forms include remittance, remission, and remittable, all reflecting the same Latin root.
Related word forms
How remit is actually used
The noun is especially common in British and international administrative contexts, where it denotes a formally defined responsibility. As a verb, “remit payment” is standard financial language, while the sense meaning to forgive is more formal and less common.