What is the meaning of return?


  • (n.) tax return, income tax return, return (document giving the tax collector information about the taxpayer's tax liability) "his gross income was enough that he had to file a tax return"
  • (n.) return, homecoming (a coming to or returning home) "on his return from Australia we gave him a welcoming party"
  • (n.) return, coming back (the occurrence of a change in direction back in the opposite direction)
  • (n.) restitution, return, restoration, regaining (getting something back again) "upon the restitution of the book to its rightful owner the child was given a tongue lashing"
  • (n.) return (the act of going back to a prior location) "they set out on their return to the base camp"
  • (n.) return, issue, take, takings, proceeds, yield, payoff (the income or profit arising from such transactions as the sale of land or other property) "the average return was about 5"
  • (n.) recurrence, return (happening again (especially at regular intervals)) "the return of spring"
  • (n.) rejoinder, retort, return, riposte, replication, comeback, counter (a quick reply to a question or remark (especially a witty or critical one)) "it brought a sharp rejoinder from the teacher"
  • (n.) return key, return (the key on electric typewriters or computer keyboards that causes a carriage return and a line feed)
  • (n.) return, paying back, getting even (a reciprocal group action) "in return we gave them as good as we got"
  • (n.) return (a tennis stroke that sends the ball back to the other player) "he won the point on a cross-court return"
  • (n.) return ((American football) the act of running back the ball after a kickoff or punt or interception or fumble)
  • (n.) reappearance, return (the act of someone appearing again) "his reappearance as Hamlet has been long awaited"


  • (v.) return (go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before) "return to your native land"; "the professor returned to his teaching position after serving as Dean"
  • (v.) render, return (give back) "render money"
  • (v.) revert, return, retrovert, regress, turn back (go back to a previous state) "We reverted to the old rules"
  • (v.) hark back, return, come back, recall (go back to something earlier) "This harks back to a previous remark of his"
  • (v.) return, take back, bring back (bring back to the point of departure)
  • (v.) return (return in kind) "return a compliment"; "return her love"
  • (v.) return (make a return) "return a kickback"
  • (v.) retort, come back, repay, return, riposte, rejoin (answer back)
  • (v.) come back, return (be restored) "Her old vigor returned"
  • (v.) refund, return, repay, give back (pay back) "Please refund me my money"
  • (v.) render, deliver, return (pass down) "render a verdict"; "deliver a judgment"
  • (v.) reelect, return (elect again)
  • (v.) fall, return, pass, devolve (be inherited by) "The estate fell to my sister"; "The land returned to the family"; "The estate devolved to an heir that everybody had assumed to be dead"
  • (v.) return (return to a previous position; in mathematics) "The point returned to the interior of the figure"
  • (v.) render, yield, return, give, generate (give or supply) "The cow brings in 5 liters of milk"; "This year's crop yielded 1, 000 bushels of corn"; "The estate renders some revenue for the family"
  • (v.) return (submit (a report, etc.) to someone in authority) "submit a bill to a legislative body"
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APAWordNet. (2010). return. Retrieved September 20, 2014, from http://smartdefine.org/return/definitions/1188761
ChicagoWordNet. 2010. "return" http://smartdefine.org/return/definitions/1188761 (accessed September 20, 2014).
HarvardWordNet 2010, return, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2014, <http://smartdefine.org/return/definitions/1188761>.
MLAWordNet. "return" 23 October 2010. Web. 20 September 2014. <http://smartdefine.org/return/definitions/1188761>
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