restitution

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UK/ˌɹɛstɪˈtjuːʃən/Canada, US/ˌɹɛstɪˈtuʃən/Australia/ˌɹestɪˈtjʉːʃən/New Zealand/ˌɹestəˈtjʉːʃən/

noun

A process of compensation for losses.

“the restitution of an elastic body”

Opposite
Less commonScrabble 11

Meanings

nounrestitution (countable and uncountable, plural restitutions)

plural restitutions

  1. countableuncountablelawA process of compensation for losses.
  2. countableuncountableThe act of making good or compensating for loss or injury.

    He […]restitution to the value makes.

    1636, G[eorge] S[andys], “(please specify the page)”, in A Paraphrase upon the Psalmes of David. And upon the Hymnes Dispersed throughout the Old and New Testaments, London: [Andrew Hebb […]], →OCLC
    1 more example

    A restitution of ancient rights unto the crown.

    1596 (date written; published 1633), Edmund Spenser, A Vewe of the Present State of Irelande […], Dublin: […] Societie of Stationers, […], →OCLC; republished as A View of the State of Ireland […] (Ancient Irish Histories), Dublin: […] Society of Stationers, […] Hibernia Press, […] [b]y John Morrison, 1809, →OCLC

    Synonyms: indemnification, recompense

  3. countableuncountableA return or restoration to a previous condition or position.

    the restitution of an elastic body

    1 more example

    The force–displacement curve of perfectly plastic contact partners does not show elastic restitution.

    2011, Evangelos Tsotsas with Arun S. Mujumdar, Modern Drying Technology, Experimental Techniques - Page 314

    Synonyms: deconversion, regression, step back, deconversion, regression, restoration, reversion, step back

  4. countableuncountableThat which is offered or given in return for what has been lost, injured, or destroyed; compensation.

    “Restitution is a very delicate issue,” says Erika Jakubovits, head of restitution for the Jewish community in Vienna.

    2024 May 4, Melanie Gerlies, quoting Erika Jakubovits, “New claimant to €35 mn Klimt emerges”, in FT Weekend (Life & Arts section), London: The Financial Times Ltd., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 18
    2 more examples

    Valery Kulishov, Russia's restitution director, pledged his country's assistance in obtaining restitution for individual victims, and turned over three secret documents bearing on stolen or missing artworks.

    1998 December 19, “Restitution and the Problem of Stolen Art”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 09 Jul 2021

    Last year, a US appeals court upheld the convictions of Holmes and Theranos President Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani. It also upheld the $452 million in restitution that Holmes and Balwani were ordered to pay to victims.

    2026 January 21, Clare Duffy, Hadas Gold, “Elizabeth Holmes asks Trump to let her out of prison early”, in CNN Business, archived from the original on 23 Jan 2026

    Synonyms: amends, recompense, remuneration, reparation, amends, acquittal, assyth, bote

  5. countableuncountablemedicineThe movement of rotation which usually occurs in childbirth after the head has been delivered, and which causes the latter to point towards the side to which it was directed at the beginning of labour.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe act of making good or compensating for loss or injury.

nounA return or restoration to a previous condition or position.

Opposite
Broader

More synonyms by meaning

nouna sum of money paid in compensation for loss or injury

noungetting something back again

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinrestitutio
  2. Old Frenchrestitucion
  3. Englishrestitution

From Old French restitucion, from Latin restitutio. By surface analysis, restitute + -ion.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek ἀπόδοσις, ἀπόδοσις
  • ἀπόδοσις (apódosis)legal: process of compensation for losses
  • ἀπόδοσις (apódosis)act of making good or compensating for loss or injury
Bulgarian реституция, компенсация
  • реституция (restitucija)legal: process of compensation for losses
  • компенсация (kompensacija)act of making good or compensating for loss or injury
  • възвръщане (văzvrăštane)return or restoration to a previous condition or position
  • възстановяване (văzstanovjavane)return or restoration to a previous condition or position
Catalan restitució
  • restitucióact of making good or compensating for loss or injury
Chinese Mandarin 賠償 /赔偿, 補償 /补偿
  • 賠償 /赔偿 (péicháng)legal: process of compensation for losses
  • 補償 /补偿 (bǔcháng)act of making good or compensating for loss or injury
Finnish korvaaminen, korvaaminen
  • korvaaminenlegal: process of compensation for losses
  • korvaaminenact of making good or compensating for loss or injury
  • palautuminenreturn or restoration to a previous condition or position
  • palauttaminenreturn or restoration to a previous condition or position
  • korjaaminenreturn or restoration to a previous condition or position
French restitution
  • restitutionlegal: process of compensation for losses
German Entschädigung, Rückerstattung
  • Entschädigunglegal: process of compensation for losses
  • Rückerstattunglegal: process of compensation for losses
  • Entschädigungact of making good or compensating for loss or injury
Polish odszkodowanie, restytucja
  • odszkodowanielegal: process of compensation for losses
  • restytucjalegal: process of compensation for losses
  • restytucjaact of making good or compensating for loss or injury
  • restytucjareturn or restoration to a previous condition or position
Russian реститу́ция, восстановле́ние в права́х
  • реститу́ция (restitúcija)legal: process of compensation for losses
  • восстановле́ние в права́х (vosstanovlénije v praváx)legal: process of compensation for losses
  • возмеще́ние (vozmeščénije)act of making good or compensating for loss or injury
  • возмеще́ние убы́тков (vozmeščénije ubýtkov)act of making good or compensating for loss or injury
  • реститу́ция (restitúcija)act of making good or compensating for loss or injury
  • восстановле́ние пре́жнего положе́ния (vosstanovlénije préžnevo položénija)return or restoration to a previous condition or position
  • возвра́т (vozvrát)return or restoration to a previous condition or position
  • восстановле́ние состоя́ния (vosstanovlénije sostojánija)return or restoration to a previous condition or position
Turkish geri ödeme, tazminat
  • geri ödemelegal: process of compensation for losses
  • tazminatlegal: process of compensation for losses

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with restitution

All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

restitution. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/restitution

MLA

“restitution.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/restitution. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “restitution,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/restitution.

Source: restitution on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.