coupon

coupon — noun

1. A printed slip or digital voucher that entitles you to pay less for a product or

1.nounB1
Definition

A printed slip or digital voucher that entitles you to pay less for a product or service, or to receive it without payment.

Example

Kevin used a coupon from the supermarket flyer to save $2 on bread.

use + coupon + for savings on a specific item

The online store sent Amira a digital coupon for ten percent off her next order.

digital coupon + percentage off

Common collocations
  • use a coupon
  • clip a coupon
  • cut out a coupon
  • redeem a coupon
  • digital coupon
  • printable coupon
  • coupon code
  • coupon book
Synonyms
  • voucher

    More formal; often refers to prepaid certificates or gift cards rather than one-time discount offers.

  • discount code

    The modern digital equivalent; an alphanumeric string entered online at checkout.

  • promo code

    Informal, interchangeable with discount code in e-commerce contexts.

Antonyms
  • full price

    The normal price paid when no coupon is used.

Usage Note

In North American English, coupon nearly always refers to a discount offer from a store or manufacturer. In British English, voucher is often preferred for prepaid certificates (gift vouchers), though coupon is widely understood for discounts as well.

Common Mistakes

I have a coupon to get free bread.
I have a coupon for free bread.
coupon is followed by 'for' (not 'to' + verb) when stating the offer.

2. A cut-out form, usually from a printed advert, that you send by mail to a compan

2.nounB2
Definition

A cut-out form, usually from a printed advert, that you send by mail to a company when you want more details on what they offer.

Example

Hari sent in the coupon from the travel magazine to request a holiday brochure.

send in a coupon + purpose clause

The Sunday paper has a furniture advert with a coupon for a free colour catalogue.

Common collocations
  • send in a coupon
  • fill out a coupon
  • clip this coupon
  • mail a coupon
  • response coupon
  • coupon at the bottom
Synonyms
  • reply form

    A more general term for any form sent back by mail.

  • inquiry slip

    Specifically refers to a detachable slip used to request information.

  • order form

    Similar format but used for placing an order rather than requesting information.

Usage Note

This sense is now less common in digital contexts. Online contact forms have largely replaced printed reply coupons for requesting product information.

Common Mistakes

I need to fill this coupon to get the information.
I need to fill out / fill in this coupon to get the information.
use a phrasal verb ('fill out' or 'fill in') rather than 'fill' alone when completing a coupon form.

Word family

  • couponing
    nounC1
  • coupon-clipper
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Coupon, voucher, discount code, and token all describe something that gives you a price reduction or special offer, but they differ in format and typical use. Coupon most commonly refers to a printed or digital offer from a retailer that you redeem at the time of purchase. Voucher tends to be more formal — it usually represents a prepaid amount toward a specific product or experience (e.g. a gift voucher), and may carry restrictions on what it can buy. Discount code (or promo code) is the modern term for an alphanumeric string entered online at checkout to receive a reduction. Token is a broader, often more formal term for something exchangeable for a good or service, sometimes issued as part of a loyalty programme rather than as a one-time promotion. For example, you might cut a coupon from a magazine, receive a voucher for a spa treatment as a birthday gift, enter a discount code on a shopping website, and collect coffee shop tokens to redeem for a free drink.

coupon ↗voucher ↗discount codetoken ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • supermarket coupon
  • digital coupon
  • discount coupon
  • magazine coupon

Phrases

  • clip a coupon
  • cut out a coupon
  • send in a coupon
  • redeem a coupon

Prepositions

  • coupon for
  • coupon in
  • coupon from

Etymology

FrenchEnglish

The word coupon entered English in the 1820s from French, where coupon meant 'piece cut off', derived from Old French colper (to cut). Its earliest English use referred to a detachable certificate on a bond that could be clipped and presented for interest payment. By the late 19th century the meaning had expanded to include the detachable discount tickets that manufacturers and retailers gave out. The advertising reply coupon (sense 2) developed alongside the growth of mass-market magazines in the early 20th century. The modern digital coupon (a code rather than a paper slip) emerged with e-commerce in the 1990s, though the word coupon itself stayed unchanged.