Explanation at your level:
You use remit when you want to say 'send money.' It is a formal word. Imagine you buy something online. The shop says, 'Please remit payment.' This means 'Please send the money now.' Use it only in work or business letters. Do not use it with friends.
Remit is a verb that means to send money to pay for a service. If you have a bill, the company might ask you to remit the amount. It is very common in business. For example: 'Please remit the payment by Friday.' It sounds very professional and polite.
In intermediate English, remit is used to describe formal financial transfers. It is a synonym for 'send payment.' It is common in banking and accounting contexts. You might hear, 'The company failed to remit the taxes on time.' It is a useful word for professional emails where you need to sound serious and clear about money matters.
At the B2 level, you should recognize that remit is restricted to formal registers. It is a precise term for settling debts or transferring funds. Beyond finance, it can also mean to cancel a punishment or fee. For example, 'The judge decided to remit the fine.' It adds nuance to your vocabulary, distinguishing between a casual 'send' and a formal 'remittance' of funds.
Remit functions as a sophisticated alternative to 'pay' or 'transfer' in professional discourse. It implies a sense of obligation and procedural accuracy. In legal or academic contexts, it can also refer to the 'remit' (noun usage, though less common as a verb) of a committee, meaning the scope of their work. Understanding the distinction between 'remitting' a payment and 'remitting' a sentence (legal) is key to mastery.
Mastery of remit involves understanding its etymological roots in 'sending back' and its evolution into a specialized financial term. In high-level English, it is used to describe the formal act of settling accounts or the discretionary power to waive penalties. It carries a weight of authority and procedural finality. Use it to elevate your professional writing, ensuring you maintain the appropriate register for corporate or legal correspondence.
Word in 30 Seconds
- Remit means to send money.
- It is a very formal word.
- It is common in business and law.
- The past tense is remitted.
Hey there! Let's talk about the word remit. Think of it as a fancy, professional way to say 'send money.' You will mostly see this in business emails, invoices, or banking apps.
When you remit payment, you are simply completing a transaction. It sounds much more official than saying 'I sent the cash,' which is why you'll find it in contracts and formal letters. It carries a sense of duty and completion.
Beyond money, remit has a secondary, slightly older meaning: to forgive or let go of a penalty. If a judge decides to remit a fine, they are essentially saying you don't have to pay it anymore. It's all about releasing an obligation, whether that obligation is a payment or a punishment!
The word remit has a cool journey through time. It comes from the Latin word remittere, which literally means 'to send back.' That makes sense, right? You are sending the money back to the person who provided the service.
It entered Middle English from Old French in the 14th century. Back then, it was used in legal and religious contexts, often referring to sending something back or even 'relaxing' one's efforts. Over hundreds of years, the 'sending money' definition became the most common one we use today in business.
It's fascinating how a word that once meant 'to send back' evolved into a specific term for financial transactions. It shows how language adapts to the needs of the people using it—as commerce grew, we needed a precise word for settling debts!
Using remit is all about register. You wouldn't say to your friend, 'I'm going to remit $20 for the pizza.' That would sound super weird! Instead, save this word for professional emails, invoices, or official government documents.
Common collocations include remit payment, remit funds, and remit the balance. These are the bread and butter of business English. You will almost always see it followed by a noun that represents money or a debt.
Remember that it is a formal word. If you are writing to a client, using 'remit' shows you are professional and serious about the transaction. It adds a layer of polish to your communication that 'send' just doesn't provide.
While 'remit' itself isn't the star of many idioms, it is often used within set phrases. Here are a few ways it appears in professional English:
- Remit of authority: Refers to the scope of someone's power or responsibility.
- Please remit at your earliest convenience: A very polite, formal way to ask for payment.
- Remit to the court: Used in legal contexts when a case is sent back to a lower court.
- Remit the penalty: Used when a fine is waived.
- Remit in full: To pay the entire amount owed without any remaining balance.
Grammatically, remit is a regular verb. Its past tense and past participle form is remitted. Notice the double 't'—that's a common spelling trap!
Pronunciation is straightforward: ri-MIT. The stress is on the second syllable. In IPA, it is written as /rɪˈmɪt/. It rhymes with words like admit, commit, permit, submit, and transmit.
It is almost always a transitive verb, meaning it needs an object. You don't just 'remit'; you 'remit something.' Keep that in mind when you are building your sentences!
Fun Fact
The word has been used in English since the 1300s!
Pronunciation Guide
Short 'i' sounds, emphasis on the second syllable.
Very similar to UK, clear 't' sound.
Common Errors
- Misplacing stress on the first syllable
- Pronouncing it like 'remate'
- Dropping the final 't' sound
Rhymes With
Difficulty Rating
Easy to read but formal.
Requires formal context.
Rarely used in speech.
Clear pronunciation.
What to Learn Next
Prerequisites
Learn Next
Advanced
Grammar to Know
Transitive Verbs
I remit the payment.
Formal Register
Using formal vocabulary.
Past Tense Regular
Remitted.
Examples by Level
Please remit the money.
Please send the money.
Imperative form.
I will remit the cash.
I will send the cash.
Future tense.
Did you remit it?
Did you send it?
Question form.
They remit the fee.
They send the fee.
Present tense.
We must remit now.
We must send now.
Modal verb.
He will remit soon.
He will send soon.
Future tense.
Please remit the total.
Please send the total.
Formal request.
I remit the payment.
I send the payment.
Simple present.
Please remit the balance by Monday.
The company asked us to remit the funds.
Did the client remit the invoice amount?
I have already remitted the payment.
You must remit the fee to enter.
They failed to remit the money on time.
The bank will remit the transfer today.
Please remit the total due.
The accountant will remit the funds to the vendor.
Please ensure you remit the payment before the deadline.
The court decided to remit the fine for the first-time offender.
We are required to remit taxes to the government annually.
The customer remitted the full amount via wire transfer.
He failed to remit the necessary documents for the claim.
Please remit the outstanding balance at your earliest convenience.
The organization remits donations to various charities.
The committee's remit is to investigate the financial discrepancies.
The judge chose to remit the sentence due to new evidence.
Failure to remit payment will result in a late fee.
The firm remits its profits to the parent company monthly.
We have remitted the funds as per the contract terms.
The tax authority may remit interest on late payments.
It is the duty of the treasurer to remit all collected dues.
The client remitted the invoice amount via an international transfer.
The sovereign power has the authority to remit the death penalty.
The board's remit was expanded to include global operations.
The company was unable to remit the dividends due to liquidity issues.
The government remitted the import duties for essential goods.
The case was remitted to the lower court for further deliberation.
We must remit the surplus funds to the central account.
The law allows the agency to remit certain administrative charges.
His remit encompasses the entire European market strategy.
The monarch exercised his prerogative to remit the prisoner's sentence.
The vast remit of the commission includes both environmental and economic policy.
The debtor sought to have the interest charges remitted by the bank.
The task was remitted to the subcommittee for a more detailed review.
The treaty stipulates that all signatories must remit their contributions on time.
The judicial system provides a mechanism to remit fines under specific hardships.
The company's broad remit allows for significant innovation in the sector.
The funds were remitted through a series of offshore accounts.
Common Collocations
Idioms & Expressions
"within one's remit"
within the scope of one's responsibility
That task is within my remit.
formal"outside one's remit"
beyond one's area of authority
That is outside my remit.
formal"remit of the committee"
the official purpose or scope of a group
The remit of the committee is clear.
formal"remit payment in full"
pay everything owed
Please remit payment in full.
business"at the remit of"
under the direction or scope of
He works at the remit of the CEO.
formal"remit to sender"
send back to the original source
The package was marked remit to sender.
neutralEasily Confused
similar sound
permit means allow
I will permit you to go.
similar sound
commit means to dedicate
I will commit to the project.
similar sound
submit means to hand in
I will submit the paper.
similar sound
transmit means to broadcast
They will transmit the signal.
Sentence Patterns
Please remit [amount] to [name].
Please remit $50 to John.
The client must remit the payment.
The client must remit the payment.
We will remit the funds by [date].
We will remit the funds by Friday.
The court decided to remit the fine.
The court decided to remit the fine.
It is the company's policy to remit taxes.
It is the company's policy to remit taxes.
Word Family
Nouns
Verbs
Adjectives
Related
How to Use It
7
Formality Scale
Common Mistakes
Remit is too formal for friends.
Double the 't' only in the past tense.
Permit means allow; remit means send.
Remit is a verb.
They sound slightly similar but have totally different meanings.
Tips
When to use
Use it only in professional correspondence.
Double the T
Remember remitted!
Latin Roots
It means to send back.
Group it
Group it with 'remittance'.
Stress
Stress the second syllable.
Don't use with friends
Avoid in casual chat.
Bank speak
It is banking jargon.
Mnemonic
RE-MIT = REturn Money In Transfer.
Practice
Write formal emails.
Transitive
It needs an object.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
RE-MIT: REturn the Money In Transfer.
Visual Association
A bank envelope with a stamp.
Word Web
Challenge
Write a fake invoice and use the word 'remit'.
Word Origin
Latin
Original meaning: To send back
Cultural Context
None, it is a neutral business term.
Common in banking and legal documents.
Practice in Real Life
Real-World Contexts
Business Invoices
- remit payment
- remit balance
- remit total
Legal Proceedings
- remit the fine
- remit the sentence
- remit the case
Banking
- remit funds
- remit transfer
- remit electronically
Government Taxes
- remit taxes
- remit duties
- remit contributions
Conversation Starters
"Have you ever had to remit a large payment?"
"Do you know the difference between remit and send?"
"Why do companies use formal words like remit?"
"Have you seen the word remit on an invoice?"
"What is the most formal word you know for sending money?"
Journal Prompts
Write a formal email asking a client to remit payment.
Describe a time you had to pay a fine.
Explain why professional language is important.
List five words that rhyme with remit.
Frequently Asked Questions
8 questionsIt is common in business, but not in daily conversation.
No, it sounds too formal.
Remitted.
It is primarily a verb, though 'remit' can be used as a noun in British English to mean 'scope of authority'.
Yes, but remit is much more formal.
ri-MIT.
Yes, it means to cancel or waive it.
Yes, very often in professional ones.
Test Yourself
Please ___ the payment today.
Remit means to send payment.
What does 'remit' mean?
Remit is a synonym for send money.
Remit is a very casual word.
Remit is formal.
Word
Meaning
Matching the word to its definition.
Please remit the funds.
Score: /5
Summary
Use 'remit' when you need to sound professional about sending money.
- Remit means to send money.
- It is a very formal word.
- It is common in business and law.
- The past tense is remitted.
When to use
Use it only in professional correspondence.
Double the T
Remember remitted!
Latin Roots
It means to send back.
Group it
Group it with 'remittance'.
