Definitions

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

  • noun A consequence that happens to someone as a result of worthy or unworthy behavior.
  • noun Money offered or given for some special service, such as the return of a lost article or the capture of a criminal.
  • noun A satisfying return on investment; a profit.
  • noun Psychology The return for performance of a desired behavior; positive reinforcement.
  • transitive verb To give a reward to or for.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To mark; regard; observe; notice carefully.
  • To look after; watch over; have regard or consideration for.
  • To recompense; requite; repay, as for good or evil conduct (commonly in a good sense); remunerate, as for usefulness or merit; compensate.
  • To make return for; give a recompense for.
  • To give in recompense or return, as for either good or evil.
  • To serve as a return or recompense to; be a reward to.
  • To serve as return or recompense for.
  • To make requital; bestow a return or recompense, especially for meritorious conduct.
  • noun Notice; heed; consideration; respect; regard.
  • noun The act of rewarding, or the state of being rewarded; requital, especially for usefulness or merit; remuneration.
  • noun That which is given in requital of good or evil, especially good; a return; a recompense; commonly, a gift bestowed in recognition of past service or merit; a guerdon.
  • noun The fruit of one's labor or works; profit; return.
  • noun A sum of money offered for taking or detecting a criminal, or for the recovery of anything lost.
  • noun Synonyms Pay, compensation, remuneration, requital, retribution.

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

  • noun obsolete Regard; respect; consideration.
  • noun That which is given in return for good or evil done or received; esp., that which is offered or given in return for some service or attainment, as for excellence in studies, for the return of something lost, etc.; recompense; requital.
  • noun Hence, the fruit of one's labor or works.
  • noun (Law) Compensation or remuneration for services; a sum of money paid or taken for doing, or forbearing to do, some act.
  • transitive verb To give in return, whether good or evil; -- commonly in a good sense; to requite; to recompense; to repay; to compensate.

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

  • verb obsolete, transitive To give (something) as a reward.
  • verb transitive To give a reward to or for.
  • verb transitive To recompense.
  • noun Something of value given in return for an act.
  • noun A prize promised for a certain deed or catch
  • noun The result of an action, whether good or bad.

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

  • verb bestow honor or rewards upon
  • noun an act performed to strengthen approved behavior
  • noun a recompense for worthy acts or retribution for wrongdoing
  • verb strengthen and support with rewards
  • noun the offer of money for helping to find a criminal or for returning lost property
  • verb act or give recompense in recognition of someone's behavior or actions
  • noun payment made in return for a service rendered
  • noun benefit resulting from some event or action

Etymologies

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

[Middle English, from Anglo-Norman, from rewarder, to take notice of : re-, intensive pref. (from Latin; see re– + warder, to guard, watch over, of Germanic origin; see wer- in Indo-European roots).]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English rewarden, from Anglo-Norman rewarder ("to reward") (compare Old French reguarder, whence modern French regarder, also English regard through Middle French), from re- + warder ("to guard, keep"), from Old Northern French, from Frankish *wardōn (“to guard, keep”), from Proto-Germanic *wardōnan (“to guard, defend”), from Proto-Indo-European *ewerwǝ-, *werwǝ-, *wrū- (“to cover, shelter, defend, guard, shut”). Cognate with Old Saxon wardōn ("to guard, provide for, protect"), Old English weardian ("to watch, guard, keep"), Old High German wartēn ("to watch, keep, look after"). More at ward.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English reward, rewarde, from Anglo-Norman reward ("reward") (compare Old French reguard, whence modern French regard, and also English regard through Middle French), from rewarder ("to reward") (compare Old French reguarder), from re- + warder ("to guard, keep") (compare Old French guarder); the Anglo-Norman forms are derived from Old Northern French variants of Old French, ultimately of Germanic (Frankish) origin. Cf. regard, warden, guard. See more below.

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Examples

  • -- But however great have been your exertions; however much they have been guided by the precepts of humanity and religion, your public reward has been censure and criticism; but let not such airy weapons damp your ardour for doing good; your _just reward_ is in Heaven, not on earth.

    Anti-Slavery Opinions before the Year 1800 Read before the Cincinnati Literary Club, November 16, 1872 William Frederick Poole

  • The minute I mention the word reward on air, well get hundreds of phony tips.

    Just Take My Heart Mary Higgins Clark 2009

  • Below that the word reward and the ministry house phone number.

    Heaven Lake John Dalton 2004

  • Below that the word reward and the ministry house phone number.

    Heaven Lake John Dalton 2004

  • Below that the word reward and the ministry house phone number.

    Heaven Lake John Dalton 2004

  • Below that the word reward and the ministry house phone number.

    Heaven Lake John Dalton 2004

  • Below that the word reward and the ministry house phone number.

    Heaven Lake John Dalton 2004

  • Below that the word reward and the ministry house phone number.

    Heaven Lake John Dalton 2004

  • This logic is altogether new; we hear the term reward, and therefore are to infer that there is no need of Christ as Mediator, or of faith having access to God for Christ's sake, and not for the sake of our works!

    Apology of the Augsburg Confession Philipp Melanchthon 1528

  • Concerning the term reward, very many other remarks might here be made derived from the nature of the Law, which as they are too extensive, must be explained in another connection.

    Apology of the Augsburg Confession Philipp Melanchthon 1528

Comments

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  • Drawer in reverse.

    July 22, 2007