redeem

English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -iːm

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 paying a sum.
2. (transitive) To liberate by payment of a ransom.
3. (transitive) To set free by force.
4. (transitive) To save, rescue
5. (transitive) To clear, release from debt or blame
6. (transitive) To expiate, atone (for ...)
7. (finance) (transitive) 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 reputation or honour of oneself or something.
12. (archaic) (transitive) To reclaim

Synonyms

• (recover ownership) buy back, repurchase

Antonyms

• abandon

Derived terms

• redeem oneself
• redeemable
• redeemably
• redeemer
• unredeemable
• unredeemably
• unredeemed

Related terms

• redemption
• redemptioner
• redemptor
• Redemptorist
• redemptory

Translations

to recover ownership of something by paying a sum

Czech: vykoupit (cs), vyplatit (cs) Dutch: terugkopen Finnish: lunastaa (fi), ostaa (fi) French: racheter (fr) German: zurückkaufen (de)

Japanese: 買い戻す (kai-modosu) Portuguese: resgatar (pt), redimir (pt) Russian: выкупать (ru) (vykupát’) impf., выкупить (ru) (výkupit’) pf. Turkish: geri almak (tr)

to liberate by payment of ransom

Czech: vykoupit (cs) Dutch: vrijkopen (nl) Finnish: maksaa (fi) lunnaat (fi) German: loslösen (de)

Greek: Ancient: λυτροω (lutrow) Russian: выкупать (ru) (vykupát’) impf., выкупить (ru) (výkupit’) pf. Turkish: kurtarmak (tr)

to set free by force

Dutch: bevrijden (nl) Finnish: vapauttaa (fi)

German: befreien (de) Turkish: kurtarmak (tr)

to save, rescue, recover

Czech: vykoupit (cs) Dutch: redden (nl), verlossen (nl) Finnish: pelastaa (fi)

German: befreien (de) Greek: εξαγοράζω (el)

to clear, release from debt or blame

Czech: vykoupit (cs)

Finnish: vapauttaa (fi)

to expiate, atone for

Czech: vykoupit (cs) Dutch: uitboeten

Finnish: sovittaa (fi)

to convert into cash

Czech: proplatit (cs) Dutch: afbetalen, aflossen, inlossen, omzetten, uitboeten, vrijkopen, genoegdoen Finnish: lunastaa (fi)

Polish: spieniężać (pl) Slovene: vnovčiti (sl)

to repair, restore

Finnish: korjata (fi) German: wiederherstellen (de)

Turkish: eski duruma döndürmek (tr), tadilat yapmak (tr) (tādīlât)

to change for the better, reform

Finnish: uudistaa (fi) German: verbessern (de)

Turkish: iyileştirmek (tr)

to save from a state of sin

Czech: vykoupit (cs) Finnish: lunastaa (fi), vapahtaa (fi), armahtaa (fi), pelastaa (fi) Irish: slánaigh (ga) Italian: redimere (it)

Japanese: あがなう (aganau) Portuguese: redimir (pt) Russian: искупать (ru) (iskupát’) impf., искупить (ru) (iskupít’) pf. Turkish: arıtmak (tr), temizlemek (tr)

to restore the reputation, honour of ...

Finnish: palauttaa (fi) kunnia (fi) French: racheter (fr) German: (Ruf) wiederherstellen (de) Japanese: 回復する (kaifuku-suru)

Portuguese: redimir (pt) Russian: обелять (ru) (obel'át’) impf., обелить (ru) (obelít’) pf. Turkish: aklamak (tr), temize çıkarmak (tr)

to reclaim — see reclaim

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

Bulgarian: изкупя (izkupia) Mandarin: 贖回, 赎回 German: erlösen, ablösen, tilgen, zurückkaufen, freikaufen

Italian: riacquistare Portuguese: resgatar, redimir Spanish: redimir