rebate

rebate — noun

1. Money paid back to a person or business because they overpaid, most often for ta

1.nounB2
Definition

Money paid back to a person or business because they overpaid, most often for taxes or certain purchases.

Example

The Wang family received a tax rebate after filing their annual return.

collocation: tax rebate

Homeowners can claim a rebate for installing solar panels.

collocation: claim a rebate

Common collocations
  • tax rebate
  • claim a rebate
  • receive a rebate
  • rebate on tuition
  • rebate for homeowners
Synonyms
  • refund

    broader term; a refund can be full or partial, while a rebate is typically a partial return of a specific overpayment

  • reimbursement

    money paid back for expenses already incurred; often from an employer or insurer rather than from the seller or government

  • deduction

    a reduction in taxable income, not a direct cash return like a rebate

Antonyms
  • payment

    money given out rather than returned

  • charge

    a fee imposed rather than returned

Grammar Patterns

rebate + on + [something]

rebate + for + [something]

Usage Note

Commonly appears in the phrases 'tax rebate' and 'claim a rebate'. A rebate is paid after purchase, whereas a discount is subtracted before payment.

Common Mistakes

I got a 10% rebate at the checkout counter.
The store gave me a 10% discount at the checkout counter.
A rebate is returned after purchase; a discount is taken off at the time of sale.
Please send me a rebate for my online order.
Please send me a refund for my online order.
A refund covers the full or partial return of a payment; a rebate usually applies to a pre-arranged partial return.

rebate — verb

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words involve getting money back or paying less, but they differ in timing and context. A rebate is a partial return of money after a purchase, often offered by a government (tax rebate) or a manufacturer (mail-in rebate). A refund is the broadest term — it can be full or partial and applies to returns of goods, cancelled services, or overpayments. Reimbursement is narrower: it covers expenses someone paid on behalf of another person or organisation (e.g., a business trip). A discount is different — it is subtracted before you pay, not returned afterwards. For example: 'I received a $200 tax rebate after filing my return.' vs. 'The store gave me a full refund when I returned the jacket.' vs. 'My employer provided reimbursement for my flight.' vs. 'Students get a 10% discount on tickets.'

rebate ↗refund ↗reimbursement ↗discount ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • tax rebate
  • tuition rebate
  • housing rebate
  • energy rebate
  • rebate cheque

Phrases

  • claim a rebate
  • receive a rebate
  • apply for a rebate
  • qualify for a rebate

Prepositions

Etymology

Old FrenchEnglish

Comes from Old French 'rabattre', meaning 'to beat down' or 'to reduce'. The 're-' part means 'back' or 'again', and 'abattre' means 'to beat down'. So the original idea was of knocking down the price — and over time it came to refer to the money returned after an overpayment.