redeem
ri-DEEM
/rɪˈdiːm/
To exchange (a coupon, voucher, etc.) for merchandise, a discount, or money; to compensate for the faults or bad aspects of something.
In shopping, it's the physical or digital act of using a credit or voucher.
The story behind the word. From the Latin 'redimere', a combination of 're-' (back) and 'emere' (to buy). It originally referred to freeing someone from debt or slavery by 'buying them back'.
Word relationships
- exchange: Exchange is general; redeem specifically implies getting value from a token or promise.
- cash in: Cash in is more informal and often refers to stocks or chips.
- forfeit: To lose the right to something, often by failing to use it in time.
Commonly confused with
- recover: Recover means to get something back that was lost; redeem is to trade a voucher for its value.
Word family
- redemption (noun): The action of redeeming something.
- redeemable (adjective): Able to be exchanged for something else.
Collocations
- redeem a voucher
- redeem points
- redeem a coupon
Idioms & expressions
- redeem oneself
Example sentences
- "The customer may redeem the coupon at any participating store." A standard retail instruction.
- "The movie was terrible, but the lead actor's performance was its only redeeming feature." Describing a person's character.
Memory hook
You 're-deem' the voucher to be 'deemed' worthy of the discount. Trade in for value.
When not to use
Don't use it for simply 'buying' something with cash.
Fun facts
- In finance, 'redeeming' a bond means the issuer is paying back the principal to the investor.
Explore more words
redemption, compensate, exchange, redress, store credit, reimburse
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