Rebate
/ˈriːbeɪt/
Definitions
2 meaningsA return of a portion of a sum paid; a refund.
/ˈriːbeɪt/
A partial refund to someone who has paid too much for something.
The store offered a $50 rebate on the purchase of a new laptop.
💡 Simply: Imagine you bought a fancy coffee maker, and the store gives you a special deal where they send you some money back later. That money back is a rebate! It's like a discount you get after you've already paid.
👶 For kids: It's like getting a little bit of your money back after you buy something!
More Examples
The car manufacturer is offering a rebate to attract more buyers.
How It's Used
"The government offered a tax rebate to stimulate the economy."
"I sent in my receipt to get the rebate on the new printer."
To give a refund or partial refund to.
/rɪˈbeɪt/
To give a partial refund to someone.
The company rebated the customers who had purchased defective products.
💡 Simply: Imagine you bought something and the store decides to give you some of your money back. When they do that, they 'rebate' you!
👶 For kids: To give a little bit of money back to someone.
More Examples
The store is willing to rebate the difference if the price drops within a month.
How It's Used
"The company decided to rebate customers who had purchased the faulty product."
Idioms & expressions
rebate program
A specific plan or scheme offering rebates to consumers or businesses.
"The government launched a rebate program to encourage the purchase of energy-efficient appliances."
From Old French *rabatre* (“to beat down, abate”), from *re-* + *abatre* (“to beat down”).
Historically, 'rebate' was used more broadly to mean a reduction or abatement of something, not just a financial refund. Its usage became more focused on monetary refunds over time, especially in business and financial contexts.
Memory tip
Think of a 'beat' or a 'bate' (as in to reduce) to remember this means something is reduced or refunded.