What does retribute mean?
Retribute is a formal, archaic verb meaning to give something back or pay it back, especially money that has been received, taken in error, or owed as compensation. Its clearest use is in legal, financial, or historical contexts: an organization might retribute unused funds, or an insurer might retribute a claim. The word is related in origin to retribution, which now commonly refers to punishment or moral recompense, but retribute itself focuses on repayment rather than punishment. It is not the same as contribute, which means to give a share or help provide something, nor is it the same as attribute, which means to assign responsibility or origin. Although the word appears in some formal and literary writing, repay, return, and refund are much more common in present-day English.
verbTo give back or return something, especially money that has been paid or owed. The word is archaic and is now mainly found in formal or historical writing.
- To give back or return something, especially money or payment.
- To pay back a debt or compensation owed to someone.
"The court required the company to retribute the fees it had wrongly collected."
"The fund was asked to retribute the unused portion of the grant."
"After the settlement, the insurer agreed to retribute the policyholder for the loss."
Retribute is the rarer twin of repay: it literally means to give back what has been received or taken.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does retribute come from?
Retribute comes through Middle English and Old French from Latin-root forms related to tribuere, meaning to give or distribute. Its original sense was to give back or pay back. The related modern word retribution developed with a more pronounced association with punishment or moral recompense.
Related word forms
How retribute is actually used
Retribute is archaic and literary. Modern speakers normally use repay, return, or refund.
Easily confused with retribute
To retribute is to return or pay back something, whereas to contribute is to give or provide a share toward a larger purpose.
To retribute means to give back or return something, while to attribute means to assign a cause, quality, or work to someone or something.