return
/rɪˈtɜːn/ nounDefinition
› [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 returna 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] (also tax return) TAX 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] (also return key) IT 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
› (UK also return ticket) TRANSPORT 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(Definition of return noun from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary
© Cambridge University Press)
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