restore the honor or worth of
"After years of poor decisions, he worked tirelessly to redeem his reputation in the community."
to turn in (vouchers or coupons) and receive something in exchange
"She rushed to the store counter to redeem her expired coupons before they fell off the expiration date."
convert into cash; of commercial papers
"The broker managed to redeem all his government bonds before interest rates rose further."
To recover ownership of something by buying it back.
"After losing his car to the impound lot for unpaid tickets, he managed to redeem it by paying off all the fines and fees."
In plain English: To redeem something means to fix it, make it better, or exchange it for what it is worth.
"I need to redeem this coupon at the store before it expires."
Usage: Use redeem to describe recovering possession or value, such as exchanging coupons for goods or paying off debt to reclaim collateral. Do not confuse this with the unrelated concept of improving someone's character through good deeds unless specifically referring to moral redemption in a religious context.
The word "redeem" entered English via Middle English and Old French from the Latin redimō, which originally meant to release or atone for something. This meaning comes from combining a prefix meaning "back again" with a root that means "to buy," reflecting the idea of paying to free someone or recover rights.