What does reward mean?

Definitions for reward
rɪˈwɔrdre·ward

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word reward.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. wages, reward, payoffnoun

    a recompense for worthy acts or retribution for wrongdoing

    "the wages of sin is death"; "virtue is its own reward"

  2. rewardnoun

    payment made in return for a service rendered

  3. reward, reinforcementnoun

    an act performed to strengthen approved behavior

  4. rewardnoun

    the offer of money for helping to find a criminal or for returning lost property

  5. advantage, rewardverb

    benefit resulting from some event or action

    "it turned out to my advantage"; "reaping the rewards of generosity"

  6. honor, honour, rewardverb

    bestow honor or rewards upon

    "Today we honor our soldiers"; "The scout was rewarded for courageous action"

  7. reinforce, rewardverb

    strengthen and support with rewards

    "Let's reinforce good behavior"

  8. reward, repay, pay backverb

    act or give recompense in recognition of someone's behavior or actions

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. Rewardnoun

    Etymology: from the verb.

    Rewards and punishments do always presuppose something willingly done well or ill; without which respect, though we may sometimes receive good, yet then it is only a benefit and not a reward. Richard Hooker, b. i. s. 9.

    They have a good reward for their labour. Ecclus. iv. 9.

    To myself I owe this due regard,
    Not to make love my gift, but my reward. Dryden.

    Men have consented to the immortality of the soul and the recompenses of another world, promising to themselves some rewards of virtue after this life. John Tillotson.

  2. To REWARDverb

    Etymology: re and award, to give in return. Stephen Skinner

    Thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil. 1 Sam. xxiv. 17.

    They rewarded me evil for good. Psalm xxxv. 12.

    To judge th’ unfaithful dead, but to reward
    His faithful, and receive them into bliss. John Milton.

    The supreme being rewards the just, and punishes the unjust. , Notes on the Odyssey.

Wikipedia

  1. Reward

    Reward is a song by English band The Teardrop Explodes. It was released as a single in early 1981 and is the band's biggest hit, peaking at No. 6 in the UK and No. 11 in Ireland. The song was not initially included in the original 1980 UK & Europe releases of their debut album Kilimanjaro, but was included in the 1980 U. S. release together with the track "Suffocate" (replacing two tracks from the UK release). "Reward" was however added to later pressings of the album from 1981.

ChatGPT

  1. reward

    A reward is a positive reinforcement, recognition, or benefit given as a result of a certain act, achievement or behavior. It serves as motivation and is usually given in response to desirable actions or good performance. Rewards can be materialistic, such as money or gifts, or non-materialistic, such as praise or recognition.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Rewardverb

    to give in return, whether good or evil; -- commonly in a good sense; to requite; to recompense; to repay; to compensate

  2. Rewardnoun

    regard; respect; consideration

  3. Rewardnoun

    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

  4. Rewardnoun

    hence, the fruit of one's labor or works

  5. Rewardnoun

    compensation or remuneration for services; a sum of money paid or taken for doing, or forbearing to do, some act

  6. Etymology: [OF. rewarder, another form of regarder, of German origin. The original sense is, to look at, regard, hence, to regard as worthy, give a reward to. See Ward, Regard.]

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Reward

    rē-wawrd′, n. that which is given in return for good or evil: recompense: retribution: the fruit of one's own labour: regard: requital: remuneration: guerdon: consideration.—v.t. to give in return: to requite, whether good or evil: to punish: (B.) to recompense: to compensate: to notice carefully: to watch over.—adj. Rewar′dable, capable or worthy of being rewarded.—n. Rewar′dableness.—adv. Rewar′dably.—n. Rewar′der, one who rewards.—adjs. Reward′ful, yielding reward; Reward′less, having or receiving no reward. [O. Fr. rewarder, reswarder, regarderre-, again, warder, guarder, to guard; of Teut. origin.]

U.S. National Library of Medicine

  1. Reward

    An object or a situation that can serve to reinforce a response, to satisfy a motive, or to afford pleasure.

Military Dictionary and Gazetteer

  1. reward

    A recompense given for the performance of a meritorious or gallant act; as, the soldiers were rewarded with medals for their gallantry. In the U. S. service a reward of $30 is paid for the apprehension of a deserter.

Editors Contribution

  1. reward

    A positive or motivating act or gift given to thank, encourage or motivate a person.

    The reward for all her fantastic effort was gratefully received as it was so deserved.


    Submitted by MaryC on January 12, 2020  


  2. rewardnoun

    About concerning a major scale of people or their language rod defining rods. 1.) a thing given in recognition of one's service, effort, or achievement. A sum offered for the detection of a criminal, the restoration of lost property, or the giving of information.

    Our Almighty Father rewarded the world with the decalogue and Jesus Christ with the promise of the Holy Spirit.

    Etymology: Gift from God


    Submitted by Tehorah_Elyon on January 11, 2025  

Suggested Resources

  1. Reward

    Reward vs. Rewarding -- In this Grammar.com article you will learn the differences between the words Reward and Rewarding.

  2. Reward

    Award vs Reward -- In this Grammar.com article you will learn the differences between the words Award and Reward.

British National Corpus

  1. Nouns Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'reward' in Nouns Frequency: #1454

  2. Verbs Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'reward' in Verbs Frequency: #871

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

Anagrams for reward »

  1. warder

  2. redraw

  3. drawer

How to pronounce reward?

How to say reward in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of reward in Chaldean Numerology is: 2

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of reward in Pythagorean Numerology is: 6

Examples of reward in a Sentence

  1. United States:

    Why not shoot Western Mindanao down ? We have to do the risk-reward here, so the first question is, does it pose a threat, a physical kinetic threat, to individuals in United States in the United States homeland ? Our assessment is it does not. Does it pose a threat to civilian aviation ? Our assessment is it does not. Does it pose a significantly enhanced threat on the intelligence side ? Our best assessment right now is that it does not. So given that profile, we assess the risk of downing it, even if the probability is low in a sparsely populated area of the debris falling and hurting someone or damaging property, that it was n’t worth it.

  2. Jenny Santi:

    For example, [it’s] through fMRI technology that we now know that there are two brain reward systems that are activated when we are giving or when we are volunteering-- these are exactly the same parts of the brain that light up when we think of food and sex.

  3. John Maynard Keynes:

    The avoidance of taxes is the only intellectual pursuit that still carries any reward.

  4. Nowadays Finley:

    When it's 7:30 in the morning and those girls are all excited waving at the door, that's my reward.

  5. Albert Einstein:

    A man's ethical behavior should be based effectually on sympathy, education, and social ties no religious basis is necessary. Man would indeed be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hope of reward after death.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

reward#1#7439#10000

Translations for reward

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

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"reward." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 13 Feb. 2025. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/reward>.

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