reimburse
UK[ˌriːɪmˈbɜːs]US[ˌriːɪmˈbɜːrs]
v
To pay back money to someone who has spent it or lost it because of you.
v
To compensate someone for an expense or loss incurred.
Morpheme Breakdown
re
im
burse
re
again
im
in
burse
purse
Etymology
The word "reimburse" has a literal financial logic embedded in its parts. It entered English in the early 17th century from the now-obsolete French 'reimbourser,' which itself was formed from the Latin elements. The core idea is to "put back into the purse." The prefix 're-' signifies the action of returning, while 'im-' (from 'in-') indicates direction, and 'burse' derives from the Latin 'bursa' for a bag or pouch for money. Thus, the etymological journey traces a clear path from the concrete act of refilling a money bag to the modern abstract meaning of compensating someone for an incurred cost.
Analysis
Structure: re (again) + im (in) + burse (purse)
re: Latin origin, a prefix meaning "again" or "back."
im: Latin origin (variant of 'in-'), a prefix meaning "in" or "into."
burse: From Latin 'bursa' (via Old French 'bourse'), meaning "purse" or "bag."
Examples
The company will reimburse you for all travel expenses.
Please keep your receipts so we can reimburse you.
The insurance policy reimburses customers for stolen items.