Restitute

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈɹɛstɪtjuːt/

Definitions

1. To bring something back to its original condition or position ; to give back something that was lost or taken to its rightful owner
2. To reinstate or repair the previous state of something ; to restore possession of property or rights to the person who previously owned them
3. To return something to the way it was before damage or loss ; to hand over or give back items or rights to their legitimate keeper

Etymology: "Restitute" is a verb meaning to return something to its owner, and it came into English from Old French "restituer," which in turn came from the Latin "restituo," meaning "replace" or "restore." The Latin verb was built from "re-" ("back, again") and "statuere" ("to set up, to establish"), so at its root it describes setting something back where it stood before. The English word has stayed close to that legal and practical sense of returning property or making good a loss. Its relative "restitution," the noun, carries the same core idea into courtrooms and compensation claims, where a wrong is put right by handing back what was taken or paying its equivalent.

Synonyms: restore, return, reimburse, repay, recompense

Antonyms: steal, deprive, rob, withhold, deny