From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishldoce_745_zreturnre‧turn1 /rɪˈtɜːn $ -ɜːrn/ ●●● S2 W1 verb 1 go back [intransitive]RETURN to go or come back to a place where you were before SYN go back, come back It was forty five minutes before she returned.return to Are you planning to return to Spain?return from I have just returned from five months in Zimbabwe. Alison decided to return home. He left his country, never to return.RegisterIn everyday English, people usually say come back (=return to the place where the speaker is) or go back (=return to a different place from where the speaker is), rather than return: It was forty five minutes before she came back.Are you planning to go back to Spain?2 give back [transitive]GIVE to give or send something back, or to put something back in its place SYN give back, put backreturn something to something/somebody Carson returned the notebook to his pocket. I returned the books to the library unread. Please complete the enclosed application form and return it in the envelope attached.RegisterIn everyday English, people usually say that they take something back, put it back, or bring it back, rather than return it: He put the key back in his pocket.Did you take the books back to the library?3 feeling/situation [intransitive]START TO HAPPEN, EXIST ETC if a feeling, situation etc returns, it starts to exist or happen again SYN come back If the pain returns, take two of the tablets with some water. David could feel his anger returning.return to when peace finally returns to this countryRegister In everyday English, people usually say that a feeling comes back rather than returns:I’m worried that the pain will come back.4 do the same [transitive]DOGIVE to do something to someone because they have done the same thing to you He smiled at her warmly and she returned his smile. I phoned him twice on Friday and left messages, but he never returned my call (=he didn’t phone me). Thanks very much. I’ll return the favour (=do something to help you) some day. The police did not return fire (=shoot back at someone who shot at them).5 answer [transitive] written to answer someone ‘Yes, ’ he returned. ‘I’m a lucky man.’ 6 ball [transitive]DS to hit the ball back to your opponent in a game such as tennis7 elect [transitive] British EnglishPPV to elect someone to a political position, especially to represent you in parliamentbe returned to something Yeo was returned to Parliament with an increased majority.be returned as something At the election, she was returned as MP for Brighton.Grammar Return is usually passive in this meaning.8 → return a verdict9 profit [transitive]BF to make a profit The group returned increased profits last year.GRAMMAR: Patterns with return• You return to a place: The writer returned to his home town many years later.Hardy returned to his house in the country. ✗Don’t say: The writer returned his home town. | Hardy returned his house. • You return home: When she returned home that night, there was a letter for her. ✗Don’t say: when she returned to homeCOLLOCATIONS – Meaning 4: to do something to someone because they have done the same thing to younounsreturn somebody’s call (=phone someone who phoned you)I left a message but he hasn't returned my call.return somebody’s gaze/stareShe kept her eyes fixed on the floor, refusing to return his gaze.return somebody’s smileMark returned her smile.return somebody’s love/feelings (=love someone who loves you)Sadly, she could never return his love.return the favour (=help someone who helped you)Thanks a lot. I hope I'll be able to return the favour.return fire (=shoot back at someone)One plane opened fire on the American aircraft, which immediately returned fire. THESAURUSreturn to go back or come back to a place where you were before. Return sounds more formal than go back or come back, and is more commonly used in written EnglishShe returned to the hotel hoping to find a message.Alastair returned from the office late that night.On Friday, I returned home around six o'clock.go back to go to the place where you were before, or to the place where you usually liveIt’s cold out here – shall we go back inside?When are you going back to Japan?go home to go to your home again, or to the country where you were born, after you have been away from itI did a bit of shopping and then went home.Are you going home to Hong Kong when the course finishes?come back to come to the place where you are again, after going away from itI’ll be away for two days – coming back on Thursday night.He’s just come back from a vacation in Miami.get back to arrive somewhere where you were before, especially your home or the place where you are stayingWe got back at about 9 o'clock.She couldn’t wait to get back to London.turn back to turn around and go back in the direction you came fromWe took the wrong road and had to turn back.He ordered the soldiers to turn back and march south. → return to something→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
return• It was a bright, hot day when she returned.• Juries represent the racial attitudes of the communities from which they came and to which they will return.• Their investment list returned a profit of 34% last year.• You must return all your library books before the end of the year.• Only 96 Conservative MPs were returned at the last election.• Alastair returned from the office late that night.• As the soldiers returned home, their wives had to readjust to living with them again.• He returned in the early 1970s and went into business.• And if you don't like your purchase, you can return it for a refund.• If there is a problem with the computer, you can return it to the store.• Twenty minutes later he returned, shaking his head in a universal gesture.• If the pain returns, take two of the tablets every four hours.• Sign and keep the top sheet, and return the blue sheet to the office.• Johnson carefully returned the document to its hiding place.• I left early, but promised to return the next day.• Penny has still not returned the office keys.• Return the pan to the heat and simmer for a further 5-10 minutes.• I'm going to return these shoes - they're a little tight.• I've got to go by Blockbuster and return those tapes.• He had to return to India to look after his mother.• After a week it was to be returned to its owner.• I tell her how excited I am to return to Oki for Obon.• Since moving out of the unprofitable world of defence, Trend has returned to profits of £900,000.• After loading up he will return to Save.• Since the end of the war, many of the paintings have been found and returned to their rightful owners.• Your passport will be returned to you when you check out of your hotel.never to return• Many of the villagers will leave, never to return.• An entire society was uprooted and destroyed, vanishing into the high mountains never to return.• At first it seemed that something had been lost, never to return.• Having gained release from the imperfections of this world, they have left it, never to return.• Her eyebrows had been severely plucked in her youth, never to return.• Let us leave the allotment now, depart for ever, never to return.• On the basis of that petty insult, Pick stormed out of the negotiations, never to return.• She wanted to leave it then, never to return.• Unable to bear the humiliation, one night he broke the chain and ran away, never to return.return fire• Police took cover in combat positions but did not return fire.• The troops returned fire and then retreated.• The Royal Engineers did not return fire and were let through.• They returned fire before breaking off the engagement.• So successful was the tactic that the return fire from the Dragoons passed over their heads without inflicting a single casualty.• The return fire from the invisible Charlies was more intense as we got closer.• When the other side has returned fire, however, Mrs Clinton and her husband have complained of ill use.• Our tanks and tracks kept going a little bit and stopped to return fire immediately.• During my first attack I experienced some very inaccurate return fire which ceased just before I broke away. returnreturn2 ●●● S2 W2 noun 1 coming back [singular]RETURN the act of returning from somewhere, or your arrival back in a place We’re all looking forward to your return!return from I need to know the date of her return from Europe.return to Malcolm decided to delay his return to York.on/upon somebody’s return On his return from Canada, he joined the army.2 giving back [singular]GIVE the act of giving, putting, or sending something backreturn of A mother is appealing for the safe return of her baby son. Police have arranged for the return of the stolen goods.3 changing back [singular]START TO HAPPEN, EXIST ETC a change back to a previous state or situationreturn to The United States called for a return to democracy. a return to normal4 starting again [singular]CONTINUE/START AGAIN when someone starts an activity again after they had stoppedreturn to Rose’s return to the teaching profession Jean is well enough now to consider her return to work.5 profit [countable, uncountable]BF the amount of profit that you get from something The markets are showing extremely poor returns.return on How can you get the best return on your investment?return from The returns from farming are declining. The average rates of return were 15%.► see thesaurus at profit 6 → in return (for something)7 computer [uncountable]TDBBO the key that you press on a computer at the end of an instruction or to move to a new line SYN enter Key in the file name and press return.8 ticket [countable] British EnglishTTRETURN (also return ticket) a ticket for a journey from one place to another and back again OPP single SYN round trip American English Can I have a return to London please? → day return9 feeling/situation [singular] when a feeling, situation etc starts to exist or happen againreturn of She felt a return of her old anxiety. David had noticed the return of worrying symptoms in the last few days.10 statement [countable]PETANSWER/REPLY a statement giving written information in reply to official questions an analysis of the 1851 census returns → tax return11 vote [countable] technical a vote in an election What are the returns from last night’s voting?12 → by return (of post) → the point of no return at point1(10)Examples from the Corpus
return• Increasingly, businesses began to call for a return on their investment in public education.• The company offers the hope of big returns for people who buy its shares.• After her return, she had spent the first week weeping, conscious of her father's tight-lipped disappointment and indignant fury.• The first two nights had passed in sheer misery, as he sat up waiting, praying for her return.• Note was taken that Ned had failed to advise the twelfth floor of Barley's drunken breakout after his return from Leningrad.• In return, you will receive a salary in the range of £11,586 to £16,176 pa depending on qualifications and experience.• Most people get fairly low returns from their personal investments.• Type in your file name and press return.• We were anxiously awaiting Pedro's return.• Both sides are demanding the return of territory lost in the war.• She begged for the return of her kidnapped baby.• The time period that funds can be invested is critical in maximizing the returns from investments.• The return on the initial investment was huge.• Eaton said large institutional investors today are putting more pressure on publicly traded companies to increase their returns.• This return to a leaner structure is a direct result of the downturn in sales in key areas such as Impressionist paintings.on/upon somebody’s return• On his return from the Holy Land, he stopped at Cotignola.return of• Perhaps her rapid shifts in mood signaled the return of madness. return to work• It was almost eight years before I could consider a return to work.• The Solidarity leader Lech Walesa also appealed for a return to work.• The financial benefits gained in terms of productivity and maintaining an occupational income by returning to work are clear.• She returned to work, but again, she said delusional thoughts were getting in the way.• Twenty factories obeying Yeltsin's strike call were asked to return to work by Sobchak.• But as long as he continued to undergo treatment, David believed he could fend off Pamela and the need to return to work.• When will workers return to work?rates of return• In evaluating corporate performance an attempt will be made to link accounting rates of return to an internal rate of return.• Covers both the private and social rented sectors and considers rent levels, rent patterns, house prices and rates of return.• Empirically, wages and rates of return on capital do not equalize in even rather long periods of time.• Private investments historically have paid far higher rates of return than Social Security.• Many farmers had given up working the land because of low rates of return and had turned to producing more lucrative goods.• The weights, mean rates of return and standard deviations were as shown in Table 5.2.• This fuller analysis of the costs and benefits raises rates of return, especially on lowland forests.• The term structure of interest rates is the relationship between the rates of return on bonds with different maturity dates.returnreturn3 adjective [only before noun] TTRETURNused or paid for a journey from one place to another and back again → single SYN round trip American English a return ticket a return fareExamples from the Corpus
return• Apart from noting the return addresses on the envelope, those who stayed didn't think much about the world outside.• Ole Gunnar Solskjaer accepted a return ball from Dwight Yorke to complete the scoring in stoppage time.• Watch for the classic Fruko y Sus Tesos on a return engagement in November.• Mulholland would later tell the valley people that his objective was simply to divert their unused and return flows.• Professor Sano writes back by return mail.• The return movement begins in October, but substantial numbers are not often present before November.• The return trip took about an hour less than the trip there.• The sea was much calmer on the return voyage.From Longman Business Dictionaryreturnre‧turn1 /rɪˈtɜːn-ɜːrn/ verb1[transitive]FINANCE if an investment returns a particular amount of money, that is the amount of profit it makesThis high-performing fund has returned 20.8% a year on average over the past decade.2[transitive]COMMERCE to take a product back to the shop you bought it from to get your money back, or to get other goods in exchange for itAny product purchased from Milo may be returned for a full refund.3[intransitive] to go back to a previous activity or statereturn toThe mine returned to production in November.The striking teachers have nowreturned to work.4[transitive] if you return a telephone call, you telephone someone because they have telephoned youThe minister didn’t return a call asking for comments on the crisis.5return a chequeBANKINGFINANCE if a bank returns a cheque, it refuses to pay it because there is not enough money in the account to do soSYNBOUNCEIf we have to return a cheque, a charge of £15 will be made.6return a verdictLAW if a JURY in a law case returns its VERDICT, it says whether it thinks someone is guilty or not→ See Verb tablereturnreturn2 noun1[countable, uncountable]FINANCEACCOUNTING the amount of profit made from an investmentBritish government bonds have produced a total return of 8.52% so far this month.a slump affecting the returns from investment2[singular, uncountable] when someone or something goes back to a previous activity or stateFavorable government rates have aided the company’s return to profitability.the return of petroleum prices to the highest levels since mid-February3[countable]TAX an official form that is filled in and sent to the tax authorities so they can calculate how much tax is owedOver 12.2 million taxpayersfiled federal returns electronically this year.allegations that the company had falsified its corporate tax return4[uncountable]COMPUTING the button that is pressed on a computer KEYBOARD when you have finished typing an instructionSYNENTEREnter the filename and press Return.5 (also product return) [countable]COMMERCE the act of taking or sending back a product you have bought, in order to get your money back or to get other goods in exchangeWe accept any return for any reason and will refund or replace the product.Our customer service department deals with product returns.returnreturn3 adjective return ticket/fare etc British English a ticket etc that allows you to travel to a place and back againSYNround-trip ticket/fare AmEThe package includes the return air fare from the UK and accommodation.Origin return1 (1300-1400) Old French retourner, from tourner “to turn” 