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rebate

/ˈɹiːbeɪt/noun, verb

rebate is a noun meaning “A deduction from an amount that is paid; an abatement” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). It is spelled R-E-B-A-T-E and has 2 syllables, and it appears 2.0 times per million words in written English (wordfreq, 2021 data). The plural of rebate is rebates.

What does rebate mean?

noun

  1. 1

    A deduction from an amount that is paid; an abatement.

  2. 2

    The return of part of an amount already paid.

  3. 3

    The edge of a roll of film, from which no image can be developed.

  4. 4

    A rectangular groove made to hold two pieces (of wood etc) together; a rabbet.

  5. 5

    A piece of wood hafted into a long stick, and serving to beat out mortar.

  6. 6

    An iron tool sharpened something like a chisel, and used for dressing and polishing wood.

  7. 7

    A kind of hard freestone used in making pavements.

verb

  1. 1

    To deduct or return an amount from a bill or payment

  2. 2

    To diminish or lessen something

  3. 3

    To beat to obtuseness; to deprive of keenness; to blunt; to turn back the point of, as a lance used for exercise.

  4. 4

    To cut a rebate (or rabbet) in something

  5. 5

    To abate; to withdraw.

  6. 6

    Of a falcon: to return to the hand after bating; see bate².

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

How do you pronounce rebate?

  • US /ˈɹiːbeɪt/
  • US /ɹəˈbeɪt/

Rebate has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-rebate1.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-rebate2.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vininn126-rebate.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Forms of rebate

  • rebates plural, present, singular, he/she/it
  • rebating participle, present
  • rebated participle, past

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

How common is rebate?

Rebate appears 2.0 times per million words in written English, the 19,336th most frequent word form in the list.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

Rebate in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchrabais (A deduction from an amount to be paid; an…), remise (The return of part of an amount already paid)
GermanErmäßigung, Rabatt (A deduction from an amount to be paid; an…), Rückzahlung, Rückvergütung (The return of part of an amount already paid)
Portuguesedesconto, abatimento (A deduction from an amount to be paid; an…)
Spanishabaratamiento (A deduction from an amount to be paid; an…), reembolso, devolución, reintegro, desgravación (The return of part of an amount already paid)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

Where does rebate come from?

From Old French rabatre < batre. See also abate.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).