repo

¹

[ ree-poh ]

noun

, plural re·pos.

1. a repurchase agreement.

repo

²

[ ree-poh ]

noun

, plural re·pos.

1. a repossessed property, especially a financed dwelling repossessed by the bank or other financing institution for delinquency of payment and offered for resale:

   We bought this trailer as a repo and have lived in it for 12 years, but now with kids we’re running out of room.

adjective

1. engaged in or relating to the business of repossessing or taking back high-priced merchandise, such as motor vehicles or machinery, from buyers who have failed to pay:

   I’m told that a repo company can just go to an address, find the car parked, and grab it.

verb (used with object)

1. to repossess or take back (merchandise) from buyers who have failed to pay:

   When their dry cleaning business really began to struggle, the bank repoed all their equipment.

repo

³

[ ree-poh ]

noun

, Computers Informal.

, plural re·pos.

1. repository ( def 5 ).

repo

/ ˈriːpəʊ /

noun

1. repurchase agreement
2. 1. repossession of property
   2. ( as modifier )

      a repo car

Word History and Origins

Origin of repo¹

First recorded in 1960–65; rep(urchase) + -o

Origin of repo²

By shortening of repossess; -o

Origin of repo³

First recorded in 1990–95

Example Sentences

He came up with this idea that Hurley was a repo man who was just so charming and good at his job that people would just end up giving their stuff back.

From Los Angeles Times

A fourth piece of legislation folds in the "Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity for Ukrainians", or Repo Act, to allow seized Russian assets to be given to Ukraine, and a bill meant to crack down on TikTok.

From BBC

“Don Hankey, he sells loans to people with less than exceptional credit. Forbes said his company repossesses about 250 cars a day. Our former president got a loan from a repo man.”

From New York Times

“REPO is not about money,” Maliuska said.

From Seattle Times

The central bank said it was keeping the benchmark one-week repo rate on hold, according to a statement.

From Seattle Times