return
verb
uk/rɪˈtɜːn/ us [ T ] ACCOUNTING, FINANCE
if a business or an investment returns an amount of money, it produces a profit:
Last year all 60 branches of the business returned a profit.
The account is low-risk but returns just 0.5% interest.
[ T ] COMMERCE
to take or send a product back to the company that sold it to you. You usually do this if you want them to replace the product or to give you back your money:
Customers who return goods must present a receipt to get cash or credit.
[ T ]
to give back money that will not be used or that should not have been paid:
If the sale does not go through, the agent is obliged by law to return the deposit.
The department will return any overpayment or set it against your next tax bill.
[ T ]
to phone someone who has called you earlier:
I left several messages on his answer-phone, but he never returned my call.
He did not return the multiple messages left on his cell phone.
[ I ]
to go back to an earlier situation or to start doing something again:
return to sth The refinery may not return to full production until later in the summer.
Most women return to work at the end of their maternity leave.
return to growth/profit The business is expected to return to growth next year.
return a cheque
BANKING
to send a cheque back to the person who wrote it, usually because they do not have enough money in the bank to pay the whole amount:
The bank returned our cheque for lack of funds.
return a verdict
LAW
to give an official opinion in a court of law about whether someone is guilty of a crime:
The jury returned a verdict of 'not guilty.'
return
noun
uk/rɪˈtɜːn/ us [ C or U ] ACCOUNTING, FINANCE
the amount of profit made by an investment or a business activity:
The program guarantees lenders a return of 10% interest.
A fixed-rate investment will give you below-average returns.
return on sth We need to monitor our return on advertising.
make/see a return (on sth) They need to charge prices of over $20 a barrel in order to make a return.
If the market improves, we can make a return of $10,000 on our investment.
a positive/negative return
a good/high return I want an investment which offers a good return.
a low/modest return
produce/offer/yield a return
[ C or U ] COMMERCE
a product that is returned to a company because the buyer is not satisfied with it, or the act of returning products to a company:
An error in the manufacturing process led to hundreds of returns from dissatisfied customers.
Check that there is a return policy in case there is a problem with the goods that you buy.
[ C ] TAX (also tax return)
an official document with details of your income that you send to the government tax department each year so that income tax can be calculated:
It is possible to file your return online.
When you have submitted your return, the Revenue promises you instant acknowledgement of its receipt.
complete/do your return
[ C or U ]
a situation in which someone or something goes back to an earlier position or activity:
a return to profit/growth/stability
The last year has seen a return to normal in the banking sector.
[ U ] IT (also return key)
the key on a computer keyboard that you press to give an instruction, or to start a new line in a document:
Type in your name and then press return.
See also
enter
TRANSPORT ( UK also return ticket)
a ticket for a journey to a place and back again:
return to somewhere I need a return to Kings Cross Station.
Compare
single noun
by return (of post)
COMMUNICATIONS
using the next available mail collection to reply:
We received an invoice by return of post.
An answer by return would be appreciated.
See also
accounting rate of return
annual return
gross return
internal rate of return
law of diminishing returns
net return
product return
rate of return
sale or return
return
adjective
uk/rɪˈtɜːn/ us TRANSPORT UK
relating to a journey to a particular place and back again:
a return journey/ticket/fare
Compare
single adjective