Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • transitive verb To make return for (something done or felt) in a similar or appropriate fashion.
  • transitive verb To avenge (an insult or wrongdoing).
  • transitive verb To respond to (another) or do something to or for (another) in return for that person's action or emotion:
  • transitive verb To get revenge on (another) for wrongdoing.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To repay (either good or evil).
  • In a bad sense, to retaliate; return evil for evil for or to; punish.
  • To return.
  • Synonyms Remunerate, Recompense, etc. (see indemnify), pay, repay, pay off.
  • noun Requital.
  • noun For counsel given unto the king is this thy just requite?

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To repay; in a good sense, to recompense; to return (an equivalent) in good; to reward; in a bad sense, to retaliate; to return (evil) for evil; to punish.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb To return in kind; To repay; to recompense; to reward.
  • verb To retaliate.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb make repayment for or return something

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English requiten : re-, re- + quiten, to pay; see quit.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English: re- + quite (to clear, pay up)

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