a sum of money offered for the detection or capture of a criminal, the recovery of lost or stolen property, etc.
2.
something given or received in return or recompense for service, merit, hardship, etc.
verb (used with object)
3.
to recompense or requite (a person or animal) for service, merit, achievement, etc.
4.
to make return for or requite (service, merit, etc.); recompense.
Origin: 1275–1325; (v.) Middle Englishrewarden orig., to regard < Old North Frenchrewarder to look at, variant of Old Frenchreguarder; (noun) Middle English: orig., regard < Anglo-French,Old North French, variant of Old Frenchreguard, derivative of reguarder; see regard
Related forms
re·ward·a·ble, adjective
re·ward·a·ble·ness, noun
re·ward·a·bly, adverb
re·ward·er, noun
re·ward·less, adjective
mis·re·ward, verb (used with object)
o·ver·re·ward, verb
su·per·re·ward, verb (used with object), noun
un·re·ward·a·ble, adjective
un·re·ward·ed, adjective
well-re·ward·ed, adjective
Synonyms 2. desert, pay, remuneration; requital; bounty, premium, bonus. Reward, prize, recompense imply something given in return for good. A reward is something given or done in return for good (or, more rarely, evil) received; it may refer to something abstract or concrete: a $50 reward; Virtue is its own reward.Prize refers to something concrete offered as a reward of merit, or to be contested for and given to the winner: to win a prize for an essay. A recompense is something given or done, whether as reward or punishment, for acts performed, services rendered, etc.; or it may be something given in compensation for loss or injury suffered, etc.: Renown was his principal recompense for years of hard work.3. compensate, pay, remunerate.
c.1300, "a regarding, heeding, observation," from O.N.Fr. reward, variant of O.Fr. reguard (see regard). Meaning "repayment for some service" is from mid-14c.
reward
early 14c., from O.N.Fr. rewarder, variant of O.Fr. regarder "take notice of, regard, watch over," from re-, intensive prefix, + garder "look, heed, watch" (see guard). Originally any form of requital.