Origin: Latin suffix -ment
Reimbursement has 2 different meanings across 1 category:
compensation paid (to someone) for damages or losses or money already spent etc.
"he received reimbursement for his travel expenses"
The act of compensating someone for an expense.
"The company approved my reimbursement for the business trip expenses I incurred while traveling to the conference."
In plain English: Reimbursement is when someone gives you money back to cover costs you already paid for something on their behalf.
"The company approved my reimbursement for travel expenses after I submitted the receipts."
Usage: Reimbursement refers specifically to being paid back for money you have already spent on behalf of another party, such as covering work-related travel costs. It is distinct from a salary or bonus because the funds are returned rather than given as new income.
Reimbursement comes from combining the word reimburse with the suffix -ment to form a noun. It entered English as a way of describing the act or process of paying back money that was spent on someone else's behalf.