repatriate

[ verb ree-pey-tree-eyt; noun ree-pey-tree-it ]

verb (used with object)

, re·pa·tri·at·ed, re·pa·tri·at·ing.

1. to bring or send back (a person, especially a prisoner of war, a refugee, etc.) to their country or land of citizenship.
2. to send (profits or other assets) back to one's own country.
3. to restore to a country that has attained sovereignty something that was formerly held or administered on that country’s behalf by a colonial power:

   In 1982, the Trudeau government repatriated Canada's constitution from Britain.

verb (used without object)

, re·pa·tri·at·ed, re·pa·tri·at·ing.

1. to return to one's own country:

   to repatriate after 20 years abroad.

noun

1. a person who has been repatriated.

repatriate

verb

1. to send back (a refugee, prisoner of war, etc) to the country of his birth or citizenship
2. to send back (a sum of money previously invested abroad) to its country of origin

noun

1. a person who has been repatriated

Derived Forms

• reˌpatriˈation, noun

Other Words From

• re·pa·tri·a·ble [ree-, pey, -tree-, uh, -b, uh, l], adjective
• re·pa·tri·a·tion [ree-pey-tree-, ey, -sh, uh, n], noun
• non·re·pa·tri·a·ble adjective
• un·re·pa·tri·at·ed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of repatriate¹

First recorded in 1605–15; from Late Latin repatriātus (past participle of repatriāre “to return to one's fatherland”), equivalent to Latin re- “again, back” + patri(a) “native country” (noun use of feminine of patrius “paternal,” derivative of pater “father”) + -ātus past participle suffix; re-, father, -ate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of repatriate¹

C17: from Late Latin repatriāre from Latin re- + patria fatherland; compare repair ²

Example Sentences

If Apple were to repatriate its cash held overseas, then it would have to pay the statutory corporate tax rate of 35 percent.

From The Daily Beast

Lately, companies like GE have been pushing to repatriate their cash at more reasonable tax rates of 10 to 15 percent.

From The Daily Beast

And then the administrator tells us, yes, he is a repatriate.

From Project Gutenberg

Finally, the English Government offered to repatriate the Turkish women without any reciprocity conditions.

From Project Gutenberg

The British authorities declared that they could not repatriate men of Urmi.

From Project Gutenberg

When they recovered they were sent to India, for it was not feasible to repatriate them by way of Persia.

From Project Gutenberg

His experiences were not such as to induce him to repatriate himself permanently.

From Project Gutenberg