Definition

1. Verb:

   • To buy something again that one previously owned, sold, or gave away. It implies a transaction where an item returns to a former owner or is acquired again by the same entity.

2. Noun:

   • The act or instance of buying back something that was previously sold or owned.

Usage and Examples

• Verb:

  • The company decided to repurchase its own shares from the stock market.
  • After regretting the sale, she managed to repurchase the antique vase.

• Noun:

  • The stock repurchase was announced to increase shareholder value.
  • His repurchase of the family car was an emotional moment.

Advanced Usage

• Financial Context: In corporate finance, a "share repurchase" or "stock buyback" is a common strategy where a company buys its own outstanding shares to reduce the number on the open market.
  • The board authorized a $2 billion share repurchase program.

Variants and Related Words

• Buyback (n.): Often used synonymously with "repurchase," especially in finance and commerce.
  • The drugstore offers a toner cartridge buyback program.

Synonyms

• Buy back (v.): The phrasal verb form with identical meaning.
• Redeem (v.): Can be similar in contexts involving repurchasing to regain possession, especially from a pawnshop or under a contractual right.

Related Phrases

• Right of repurchase: A contractual clause giving a party the right to buy back an asset under specified conditions.
  • The contract included a right of repurchase if the land was not developed within five years.

Noun

1. the act of purchasing back something previously sold

Verb

1. buy what had previously been sold, lost, or given away
   • He bought back the house that his father sold years ago