return

/rɪˈtɜːn/ verb

Definition

› [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.'

(Definition of return verb from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

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