redeem

English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ɹɨˈdiːm]

  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 buying it back.
2. (transitive) To liberate by payment of a ransom.
3. (transitive) To set free by force.
   • 1611, King James Version, 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. (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 honour, worth, or reputation of oneself or something.
12. (archaic, transitive) To reclaim

Synonyms

• (recover ownership) buy back, repurchase

Antonyms

• abandon

Derived terms

Derived terms

• redeemable
• redeemably
• redeemer
• redeem oneself

• unredeemable
• unredeemably
• unredeemed

Related terms

Related terms

• redemption
• redemptioner
• redemptor

• Redemptorist
• redemptory

Translations

to recover ownership of something by paying a sum

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 赎回 (zh) (shúhuí)

• Czech: vykoupit, vyplatit
• Dutch: terugkopen (nl)
• Finnish: lunastaa (fi), ostaa takaisin
• French: racheter (fr)
• German: zurückkaufen
• Japanese: 買い戻す (kai-modosu)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Latin: redimō
• Manx: feayshil, aachionnee, kionnee reesht
• Occitan: redimir
• Portuguese: resgatar (pt), redimir (pt)
• Russian: выкупа́ть (ru) impf (vykupátʹ), вы́купить (ru) pf (výkupitʹ)
• Spanish: redimir (es), rescatar (es)
• Turkish: geri almak (tr)

to liberate by payment of ransom

• Czech: vykoupit
• Dutch: vrijkopen (nl)
• Esperanto: elaĉeti
• Finnish: maksaa lunnaat
• German: loslösen, freikaufen
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Greek:

  Ancient: λυτροω (lutroō)

• Latin: redimō
• Occitan: redimir
• Russian: выкупа́ть (ru) impf (vykupátʹ), вы́купить (ru) pf (výkupitʹ)
• Turkish: kurtarmak (tr)

to set free by force

• Dutch: bevrijden (nl)
• Finnish: vapauttaa (fi)
• French: libérer (fr)
• German: befreien (de)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Occitan: desliurar (oc), liberar
• Portuguese: libertar (pt)
• Spanish: liberar (es), libertar (es)
• Turkish: kurtarmak (tr)

to save, rescue, recover

• Czech: vykoupit
• Dutch: redden (nl), verlossen (nl)
• Finnish: pelastaa (fi)
• French: secourir (fr)
• German: befreien (de)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Greek: εξαγοράζω (el) (exagorázo)
• Occitan: redimir, rescaptar
• Portuguese: resgatar (pt)
• Spanish: rescatar (es)

to clear, release from debt or blame

• Czech: vykoupit
• Finnish: vapauttaa (fi)
• French: libérer (fr), soulager (fr)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Occitan: redimir
• Portuguese: redimir (pt)
• Spanish: redimir (es)

to expiate, atone for

• Czech: vykoupit
• Dutch: uitboeten
• Esperanto: elaĉeti
• Finnish: sovittaa (fi)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Portuguese: redimir-se
• Spanish: redimirse (es)
• Swedish: gottgöra (sv), sona (sv)

to convert into cash

• Czech: proplatit
• Dutch: afbetalen (nl), aflossen (nl), inlossen (nl), omzetten (nl), uitboeten, vrijkopen (nl), genoegdoen
• Finnish: lunastaa (fi)
• French: (informal) liquider (fr)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• German: einlösen (de)
• Polish: spieniężać
• Slovene: vnovčiti
• Spanish: canjear (es)

to repair, restore

• Dutch: herstellen (nl)
• Finnish: korjata (fi)
• French: réparer (fr), rétablir (fr)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• German: wiederherstellen (de)
• Turkish: eski duruma döndürmek, tadilat yapmak

to change for the better, reform

• Finnish: uudistaa (fi)
• French: améliorer (fr), réformer (fr)
• German: verbessern (de)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Persian: please add this translation if you can
• Russian: улучша́ться (ru) impf (ulučšátʹsja), улу́чшиться (ru) pf (ulúčšitʹsja)
• Turkish: iyileştirmek (tr)

to save from a state of sin

• Czech: vykoupit
• Finnish: lunastaa (fi), vapahtaa (fi), armahtaa (fi), pelastaa (fi)
• Irish: slánaigh
• Italian: redimere (it)
• Japanese: あがなう (ja) (aganau)
• Occitan: redimir
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Portuguese: redimir (pt)
• Russian: искупа́ть (ru) impf (iskupátʹ), искупи́ть (ru) pf (iskupítʹ)
• Spanish: redimir (es)
• Swedish: frälsa (sv)
• Turkish: arıtmak (tr), temizlemek (tr)

to restore the reputation, honour of ...

• Finnish: palauttaa kunnia
• French: racheter (fr)
• German: (Ruf) wiederherstellen (de)
• Japanese: 回復する (kaifuku-suru)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Portuguese: redimir (pt)
• Russian: обеля́ть (ru) impf (obeljátʹ), обели́ть (ru) pf (obelítʹ)
• Spanish: redimir (es)
• 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. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Bulgarian: ^{(please verify)} изкупя (izkupja)
• Mandarin: ^{(please verify)} 贖回／赎回 (zh) (shúhuí), ^{(please verify)} 赎回 (zh) (shúhuí)
• German: ^{(please verify)} erlösen (de), ^{(please verify)} ablösen (de), ^{(please verify)} tilgen (de), ^{(please verify)} zurückkaufen, ^{(please verify)} freikaufen
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: ^{(please verify)} riacquistare
• Spanish: ^{(please verify)} redimir (es)

Anagrams

• deemer, reemed