reward

[ ri-wawrd ]

noun

1. a sum of money offered for the detection or capture of a criminal, the recovery of lost or stolen property, etc.
2. something given or received in return or recompense for service, merit, hardship, etc.

   Synonyms: bonus, premium, bounty, requital, remuneration, pay, desert

verb (used with object)

1. to recompense or requite (a person or animal) for service, merit, achievement, etc.

   Synonyms: remunerate, pay, compensate

2. to make return for or requite (service, merit, etc.); recompense.

reward

/ rɪˈwɔːd /

noun

1. something given or received in return for a deed or service rendered
2. a sum of money offered, esp for help in finding a criminal or for the return of lost or stolen property
3. profit or return
4. something received in return for good or evil; deserts
5. psychol any pleasant event that follows a response and therefore increases the likelihood of the response recurring in the future

verb

1. tr to give (something) to (someone), esp in gratitude for a service rendered; recompense

Derived Forms

• reˈwardable, adjective
• reˈwarder, noun
• reˈwardless, adjective

Other Words From

• re·warda·ble adjective
• re·warda·ble·ness noun
• re·warda·bly adverb
• re·warder noun
• re·wardless adjective
• misre·ward verb (used with object)
• over·re·ward verb
• super·re·ward verb (used with object) noun
• unre·warda·ble adjective
• unre·warded adjective
• well-re·warded adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of reward¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English (verb) rewarden originally, “to regard,” from Old North French rewarder “to look at,” variant of Old French reguarder; regard

Word History and Origins

Origin of reward¹

C14: from Old Norman French rewarder to regard, from re- + warder to care for, guard, of Germanic origin; see ward

Synonym Study

Reward, prize, recompense imply something given in return for good. A reward is something given or done in return for good (or, more rarely, evil) received; it may refer to something abstract or concrete: a $50 reward; Virtue is its own reward. Prize refers to something concrete offered as a reward of merit, or to be contested for and given to the winner: to win a prize for an essay. A recompense is something given or done, whether as reward or punishment, for acts performed, services rendered, etc.; or it may be something given in compensation for loss or injury suffered, etc.: Renown was his principal recompense for years of hard work.

Example Sentences

He added that Trump probably appointed Gaetz to reward him for his loyalty.

From Salon

These days it takes warehouses full of the latest computers running all day and all night, but the reward is brand new bitcoins for those companies that take part.

From BBC

At the least, eligibility for VA benefits should reward time of service, using a transparent, sliding scale of benefits that increases based on the length of one’s career.

From Los Angeles Times

It’s just like the lingering anti-labor legacy left by President Clinton’s embrace of all things free trade that gave us NAFTA, which promoted the use of the U.S. tax code to reward corporations to ship jobs overseas.

From Salon

Now they are urging people who may have visited Amsterdam to think back, with a €30,000 reward to encourage witnesses to come forward.

From BBC

Related Words

• compensate
• honor
• repay
• take care of