restitution

noun

res·​ti·​tu·​tion ˌre-stə-ˈtü-shən How to pronounce restitution (audio)
-ˈtyü-
1
: an act of restoring or a condition of being restored: such as
a
: a restoration of something to its rightful owner
b
: a making good of or giving an equivalent for some injury
2
: a legal action serving to cause restoration of a previous state

Examples of restitution in a Sentence

the restitution of her stolen property He was ordered to make restitution to the victim.
Recent Examples on the Web In lieu of a criminal proceeding, the 78 protesters were ordered to do five hours of community service and pay restitution for blocking the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge during a protest in mid-November. Lawrence Richard, Fox News, 15 Mar. 2024 As part of a plea agreement, Patrick Scott, 59, is also required to pay $10,000 restitution to the victim’s family. Steve Almasy, CNN, 11 Mar. 2024 He was sentenced to 12 months probation, fined $742, ordered to pay $500 restitution and brushed with a special assessment of $10. David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 8 Mar. 2024 Christopher Brian Roe, 39, also must serve two years of supervised release and pay $2,000 restitution for damage to the Capitol, which prosecutors say stands at more than $2.9 million. Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 6 Mar. 2024 He was also ordered by the judge to pay almost $1.5 million in restitution and to forfeit $1 million. Nollyanne Delacruz, The Mercury News, 6 Mar. 2024 During the sentencing hearing on Friday, he was ordered to serve 41 months in prison and to pay restitution of $45,500 to one person who repaid the fraudulent loans. Natallie Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Mar. 2024 To settle those lawsuits, Legal Helpers and some of its leaders agreed, over several years, to pay more than $14 million in penalties and consumer restitution and to cease operations, according to government prosecutors’ legal filings. Emma Goldberg, New York Times, 10 Feb. 2024 During their hearing at a federal courthouse in Anchorage on Feb. 23, Christopher Brumwell and Andrew McDonald struck a plea bargain that includes 4 years of probation and $10,000 a piece in various fines and restitution. Travis Hall, Field & Stream, 29 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'restitution.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English restitucioun, from Anglo-French, from Latin restitution-, restitutio, from restituere to restore, from re- + statuere to set up — more at statute

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of restitution was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near restitution

Cite this Entry

“Restitution.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/restitution. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

restitution

noun
res·​ti·​tu·​tion ˌres-tə-ˈt(y)ü-shən How to pronounce restitution (audio)
: the giving of something back to its rightful owner or the giving of something of equal value (as for loss or damage)

Legal Definition

restitution

noun
res·​ti·​tu·​tion ˌres-tə-ˈtü-shən, -ˈtyü- How to pronounce restitution (audio)
1
a
: a restoration of something to its rightful owner
b
: a making good of or giving an equivalent for some injury
2
a
: the equitable remedy of restoring to an aggrieved party that which was obtained in unjust enrichment
b
: a remedy for breach of contract that consists of restoring the aggrieved party to the status quo that existed before the contract was made
3
: an amount to be paid for the purpose of restitution
ordered to pay restitution to the victim of his crime
compare fine
restitutional
ˌres-tə-ˈtü-shə-nəl, -ˈtyü-
adjective
restitutionary
ˌres-tə-ˈtü-shə-ˌner-ē, -ˈtyü-
adjective
restitutive
ˈres-tə-ˌtü-tiv, -ˌtyü-
adjective
restitutory
ˌres-tə-ˈtü-tə-rē, -ˈtyü-; rə-ˈsti-tyə-ˌtōr-ē
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on restitution

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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