receipt

receipt — noun

1. When you buy something, the shop gives you a receipt — a written or digital docu

1.nounA2
Definition

When you buy something, the shop gives you a receipt — a written or digital document that proves you paid for it.

Example

Kenji kept the receipt in his wallet in case he needed to return the jacket.

keep + receipt — collocation for retaining proof of purchase

The cashier asked if Sirin wanted a paper receipt or an email copy.

paper receipt / email copy — contrasting types of receipt

Common collocations
  • keep a receipt
  • get a receipt
  • ask for a receipt
  • paper receipt
  • digital receipt
  • print a receipt
  • save a receipt
  • receipt for a purchase
Synonyms
  • proof of purchase

    more formal term for a receipt used for returns or warranty claims

  • voucher

    a coupon or document that can be exchanged for goods, not proof that you already paid

  • invoice

    a request for payment before you pay, not proof after paying — a common mix-up

Grammar Patterns

receipt + for + noun phrase

receipt + of + noun phrase

Usage Note

Countable noun — you can have one receipt or several receipts. 'Receipt' in this sense is the document itself, not the act of getting it.

Common Mistakes

I lost the recipe for my laptop.
I lost the receipt for my laptop.
'recipe' tells you how to cook something; 'receipt' proves you bought something.
Can I have a reception for my purchase?
Can I have a receipt for my purchase?
'reception' is a party or the act of welcoming; 'receipt' is the payment document.

2. The receipt of something is the formal act of officially getting a letter, payme

2.nounB1
Definition

The receipt of something is the formal act of officially getting a letter, payment, package, or piece of information that has been sent to you.

Example

The team confirmed receipt of Ishaan's application by email the next day.

confirm receipt — formal collocation for business correspondence

Payment is due within thirty days of receipt of the invoice.

within X days of receipt — fixed time phrase

Common collocations
  • acknowledge receipt
  • confirm receipt
  • upon receipt
  • on receipt
  • in receipt of
  • receipt of payment
  • receipt of goods
Synonyms
  • reception

    similar formality but often implies a welcoming event rather than a simple transactional receiving

  • arrival

    focuses on the thing coming rather than the act of someone receiving it

Antonyms
  • dispatch

    the act of sending something out, the opposite action to receiving

Grammar Patterns

upon/on receipt of + noun phrase

acknowledge receipt of + noun phrase

in receipt of + noun phrase

Usage Note

Used almost exclusively in formal or business contexts. Frequently appears in fixed phrases: 'upon receipt of', 'on receipt of', 'in receipt of', 'acknowledge receipt of'. The noun is uncountable here — you cannot say 'a receipt' or 'receipts' when referring to the act.

Common Mistakes

I acknowledged the receipt of your letter in our casual chat.
I got your letter.
'acknowledge receipt' is too formal for everyday conversation; use 'get' or 'receive' instead.

3. In business, a company's receipts are all the money it takes in from selling goo

3.nounB1
Definition

In business, a company's receipts are all the money it takes in from selling goods or providing services over a given period.

Example

The café's weekly receipts were much higher during the summer holiday.

weekly receipts — time period + receipts

The accountant reviewed the store's receipts for the previous financial year.

Common collocations
  • daily receipts
  • weekly receipts
  • annual receipts
  • total receipts
  • gross receipts
  • net receipts
  • ticket receipts
  • box office receipts
Synonyms
  • revenue

    more formal and broader — includes all income sources, not just money physically collected

  • takings

    informal British English term for money taken by a shop or event

  • income

    broader term — can include wages, investments, and other money received

Antonyms
  • expenditure

    money that goes out of a business, the opposite of receipts

  • expenses

    costs incurred by a business, subtracted from receipts

Grammar Patterns

receipts + from + noun phrase

receipts + for + time period

Usage Note

Always used in the plural form 'receipts' in this sense. Never use 'receipt' (singular) to mean income. Common in accounting, retail, and financial reporting contexts. Often preceded by an adjective showing a time period: 'daily receipts', 'weekly receipts', 'annual receipts'.

Common Mistakes

Our receipt was low this month.
Our receipts were low this month.
when talking about income, 'receipts' must be plural.

4. Something that is used as proof or evidence that a particular event happened or

4.nounB2
Definition

Something that is used as proof or evidence that a particular event happened or that a fact is true, especially in official or legal situations.

Example

Tamar's signed delivery form serves as receipt that the package was accepted.

serve as receipt that — formal construction for evidence

A tracking number alone is not sufficient receipt of delivery.

Common collocations
  • serve as receipt
  • be receipt of
  • as receipt that
  • sufficient receipt
Synonyms
  • proof

    broader and more common — can be physical or logical evidence

  • evidence

    more general term used in law and everyday speech

  • confirmation

    focuses on verifying that something is true rather than proving it

Grammar Patterns

serve as receipt + that-clause

be receipt of + noun phrase

Usage Note

This sense is quite formal and less common in everyday speech. It overlaps in meaning with 'proof' and 'evidence'. Unlike 'proof', it typically refers to a tangible or recorded item (a document, a stamp, a recording) rather than a logical argument. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 4 does not require a commercial transaction — any event can have its 'receipt'.

Common Mistakes

I have receipt that I passed the exam.
I have proof that I passed the exam.
'receipt' in this sense sounds very formal and old-fashioned for everyday situations; use 'proof' instead.

receipt — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These six words all relate to payments or proof of payment, but each has a different role in a transaction. A receipt is what you receive after paying — it proves the money changed hands. An invoice is the opposite: a seller sends it before payment, requesting money for goods or services. A bill is similar to an invoice but is more common in everyday settings like restaurants and utility companies. A check (US) or cheque (UK) is a paper form you write to instruct your bank to pay someone from your account — it is a method of payment, not proof of payment. A ticket grants you entry or access (cinema, flight, train) and may or may not serve as a receipt. A voucher is a coupon or credit that can be exchanged for goods or services, often given as a gift or refund. For example: you pay a restaurant bill with a check, and the waiter gives you a receipt; you buy a concert ticket online and receive an invoice by email, followed by a receipt once you pay.

receipt ↗invoice ↗billcheck ↗ticket ↗voucher ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • upon receipt
  • on receipt
  • in receipt of
  • acknowledge receipt of
  • receipt of payment
  • proof of receipt

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

The word 'receipt' entered English through Old French 'receite', which came from Latin 'recepta' (meaning 'things received'), the feminine past participle of 'recipere' ('to receive'). In Middle English the spelling was 'receite', but during the 16th century, scholars added a 'p' to make the word look more like its Latin ancestor 'receptus'. This is why 'receipt' has a silent 'p' — a historical spelling that stuck even though the pronunciation never changed.