redeem

English

Etymology

Recorded since c.1425, from Middle English redemen, modified from Old French redimer, from Latin redimō (“release; obviate; atone for”), itself from re- (“back; again”) + emō (“buy; gain, take, procure”).

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ɹɪˈdiːm/
  • Audio (Southern England)(file)
  • Rhymes: -iːm
  • Hyphenation: re‧deem

Verb

redeem (third-person singular simple present redeems, present participle redeeming, simple past and past participle redeemed)

  1. (transitive) To recover ownership of something by buying it back.
  2. (transitive) To liberate by payment of a ransom.
  3. (transitive) To set free by force.
    • c. 1587–1588, [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire, London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act III, scene ii:
      Your Highneſſe needs not doubt but in ſhort time,
      He will with Tamburlaines deſtruction
      Redeeme you from this deadly ſeruitude.
    • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Exodus 6:6:
      Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments ...
  4. (transitive) To save, rescue
  5. (transitive) To clear, release from debt or blame
  6. (transitive) To expiate, atone (for)
  7. (transitive, finance) To convert (some bond or security) into cash
  8. (transitive) To save from a state of sin (and from its consequences).
  9. (transitive) To repair, restore
  10. (transitive) To reform, change (for the better)
  11. (transitive) To restore the honour, worth, or reputation of oneself or something.
  12. (transitive, archaic) To reclaim

Synonyms

Antonyms

Derived terms
Derived terms
Related terms

Translations
to reclaim — see reclaim
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Anagrams

Galician

Verb

redeem

  1. (reintegrationist norm) inflection of redar:
    1. third-person plural present subjunctive
    2. third-person plural imperative

Portuguese

Verb

redeem

  1. inflection of redar:
    1. third-person plural present subjunctive
    2. third-person plural imperative
This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.