return noun
1 coming/going back; giving sth back
ADJ. complete, full a full return to health | gradual | imminent | brief | emotional, happy | dramatic
VERB + RETURN make Shevchenko made an emotional return to his former club. | mark The victory marked Williams' return to top form. | await, wait for | greet The smell of cooking greeted his return home. | celebrate | delay, put off | demand He demanded the return of his money. | call for, push for, vote for The UN continued to call for a return to civilian rule.
RETURN + NOUN address, date
PREP. in ~ (for) She gave them all the help she could, and asked for nothing in return. | on sb's ~ He promised to visit us on his return. | ~ from The date of their return from India is a fortnight from now. | ~ to Jones is hoping for an early return to racing after her injury.
PHRASES by return (of post) All orders will be dispatched by return of post (= by the next post).
2 (also returns) profit
ADJ. attractive, big, excellent, generous, good, high, substantial | acceptable, adequate, decent, fair, healthy, reasonable | inadequate, low, marginal, meagre, poor, small | diminishing the law of diminishing returns | immediate | long-term | annual, monthly, quarterly, etc. | expected, likely, possible, potential, projected | gross, pre-tax | after-tax, net | tax-free
VERB + RETURN achieve, get, make, receive You should get a good return on this investment. | boost, enhance, improve, increase, maximize to maximize returns to shareholders | estimate | give (sb), offer (sb), produce, provide, show, yield The venture yielded a net return of £15 million. | represent These figures represent a return of 8.5% per annum.
RETURN + VERB increase | decline, decrease
PREP. ~ on the return on capital/investment/savings
PHRASES a rate of return
3 ticket to travel to a place and back again
ADJ. day, period | business class, economy, first-class, standard, tourist class
RETURN + NOUN ticket | flight, journey