Nonrefundable

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Not able to be returned for a refund or exchanged for money once purchased
2. Describes a payment or item that cannot be given back to recover any of the cost
3. Indicates that no money can be reclaimed after a sale or agreement is finalized

Etymology: "Nonrefundable" is a plain compound built from the prefix "non-", meaning "not", and "refundable," which means able to be paid back. Its parts run deep: "non-" descends from Old English "nān," meaning "not one" (from "ne," "not," plus "ān," "one"), while "refundable" combines "refund," a verb borrowed from Latin "refundere" (to pour back), with the suffix "-able," which passed through Old French from Latin "-ābilis." The result is a word that is literally a negation of a negation, though it reads cleanly in contracts and receipts. Its meaning is fixed by the transaction: once a sale or agreement is complete, the money stays where it is. The word itself is a straightforward formation with no single coiner or memorable incident behind it.

Synonyms: non-returnable, non-repayable, unrefundable, INVALID, INVALID

Antonyms: refundable, returnable