When people search define:remit, they usually want a plain-English explanation of a word that appears in business, law and everyday money matters. To define:remit is to explain a verb with two related meanings: to send money to someone, usually as a payment, and to forgive or cancel something, such as a debt or a punishment. A third, related use appears in the phrase “remit address”, which is the address to which a payment should be sent. This guide explains each meaning, shows how the word is used, and clears up the confusion between remit, remittance and remit address.
Define:Remit as a Verb — To Send Money
The most common way to define:remit is “to send money”. If a company remits payment to a supplier, it sends the money owed, usually by bank transfer, cheque or an online payment system. If a worker remits money to family in another country, they send part of their earnings home. The noun for that sent money is a remittance, and the person who sends it is the remitter, though those formal terms appear mainly in banking and legal documents.
Remit in this sense is formal. Everyday speech prefers “send” or “pay”, while contracts, invoices and tax documents prefer “remit” because it is precise. An invoice that says “please remit payment within 30 days” means “please pay within 30 days”, and the formality signals that the request is official. In business writing, that precision matters: “remit” leaves no doubt that a payment, not a message or a document, is expected.
Define:Remit as Forgiveness or Cancellation
The second way to define:remit is “to forgive, pardon or cancel”. A court may remit a fine, meaning it cancels or reduces it. A lender may remit part of a debt, meaning the borrower no longer owes that part. A religious tradition may speak of remitting sins, meaning forgiving them. This sense shares a Latin root with the money sense: both come from “remittere”, meaning to send back or let go. Sending money back to its owner and letting go of a debt are two sides of the same idea.
This sense is less common in everyday speech but still appears in legal and formal writing. If you meet “remit” in a court report or a formal letter and no money is involved, forgiveness or cancellation is almost certainly the intended meaning. Context decides: money nearby points to payment, while fines, debts or punishments nearby point to cancellation.
What Does “Remit Address” Mean?
A remit address, sometimes written as “remit to address”, is the address to which a payment should be sent. On an invoice, the remit address tells the payer where to send a cheque or which account details to use. It may differ from the company’s head office or trading address, because payments are often processed by a finance department or a bank lockbox in another location. Sending payment to the wrong address can delay processing, so businesses highlight the remit address clearly on invoices.
For individuals, the remit address matters when paying bills by post or setting up a payee in online banking. Always copy the address or account details exactly as shown on the current invoice, because details change when companies move or change banks. Never send payment to an address given only in an unsolicited email or message: verify it against the official invoice or the company’s official website first, because payment redirection is a common fraud technique.
Remit vs Remittance vs Remittal
Remit is the verb: to send or to forgive. Remittance is the noun for money sent, especially across borders, and it is also used for the payment itself in business. Remittal is a rarer noun for the act of remitting, most often used in legal contexts for sending a case back to a lower court or cancelling a penalty. Keeping verb and noun apart avoids the most common mistake with this word family.
Examples of Remit in Real Sentences
Business: “Please remit payment by the due date shown on this invoice.” Banking: “Migrant workers remit billions to their families each year.” Law: “The judge remitted the fine in light of the circumstances.” Religion: “The prayer asks that sins be remitted.” Government: “Taxpayers must remit the amount owed by 31 January.” Each example uses the same core idea of sending back or letting go, applied to a different field.
Notice how formal the word sounds in every example. That formality is a clue: if a sentence sounds like it belongs in a contract, a court or a bank, “remit” fits. If it sounds like a chat with a friend, “send” or “pay” fits better. Choosing the right register is part of using the word well.
The History of the Word Remit
Remit entered English from Latin “remittere” through Old French, and it has been used since the Middle Ages. Its money sense grew with trade and banking, while its forgiveness sense grew with law and religion. Both senses survive because both remain useful: modern economies still need a formal word for sending payments, and modern law still needs a formal word for cancelling penalties. Words that serve two professions tend to survive, and remit is a good example.
Related words share the root: “remission” means forgiveness or a reduction, “remiss” means careless about a duty, and “remissible” means capable of being forgiven. Seeing the family together helps the core meaning click: all of them involve sending something back, letting something go, or failing to send what is due.
| Form | Meaning | Example context |
|---|---|---|
| Remit (verb) | Send money | Invoices, payments |
| Remit (verb) | Forgive or cancel | Fines, debts, sins |
| Remittance (noun) | Money sent | Cross-border payments |
| Remit address (noun) | Address for payment | Invoices, billing |
| Remission (noun) | Forgiveness or reduction | Law, medicine, religion |
Common Mistakes With Remit
The most common mistake is using “remit” to mean “submit” or “send” in general. A student who “remits an essay” is misusing the word unless money or forgiveness is involved; the correct verb is “submit”. Another mistake is confusing “remit address” with a home or office address: the remit address is specifically where payment goes, and it may be a processing centre rather than a place you can visit. A third mistake is spelling: “remit” has one t at the end, unlike “remittance”, which doubles the t before the suffix.
For more word definitions, see what deductible means in car insurance, what simultaneously means and what “auth” means in modern usage.
Define:Remit — Frequently Asked Questions
What does remit mean in simple terms?
To send money as a payment, or to forgive or cancel a debt or punishment. Context tells you which meaning applies.
What is a remit address?
The address or account destination to which a payment should be sent, as shown on an invoice. It may differ from a company’s main address.
What is the difference between remit and remittance?
Remit is the verb (to send), while remittance is the noun for the money sent, especially across borders.
Is remit a formal word?
Yes. It belongs to business, banking and legal writing. Everyday speech usually prefers “send” or “pay”.
How do you pronounce remit?
It is pronounced ri-MIT, with the stress on the second syllable.
Remit in Everyday Business Practice
In everyday business, to define:remit in practice means following a payment workflow. A supplier issues an invoice with a remit address and payment terms, the buyer checks the goods or services, approves the invoice, and remits payment by the due date using the details given. Large companies automate much of this, with systems that match invoices to orders and schedule payments, but the vocabulary remains the same: remit, remittance advice, and remit address appear in software menus and email templates across the business world.
A remittance advice is a useful related document. When a buyer remits payment, they often send the supplier a remittance advice, a note stating which invoices the payment covers. That note prevents confusion when one payment covers several invoices or only part of one. Suppliers value it because it speeds up reconciliation, and buyers value it because it creates a paper trail. If you pay business invoices, sending a remittance advice, even a short email listing invoice numbers, is good practice.
Remit and International Payments
To define:remit in an international context adds the idea of cross-border transfer. Migrant workers remitting earnings home support families and, in aggregate, entire economies, and international remittance flows now rival foreign aid in many countries. Banks, money transfer operators and mobile money services all compete in this space, with fees, exchange rates and delivery speed varying widely. Anyone sending money abroad should compare total costs, including the exchange rate margin, not just the headline fee, and should use licensed providers.
Regulation matters here. Licensed providers must verify identities and report suspicious transactions, which protects senders and recipients alike. Unlicensed channels may be cheaper, but they offer no recourse if money goes missing. For regular remittances, setting up a trusted provider, confirming recipient details carefully, and keeping receipts for every transfer is the safest routine.
Conclusion
To define:remit is to explain a formal verb with two linked meanings: sending money and forgiving or cancelling what is owed. The related phrase “remit address” simply names where a payment should go. Remember the Latin root, “to send back or let go”, and both meanings fall into place. Whether you meet the word on an invoice, in a court report or in a banking document, check the context for money or forgiveness, and the meaning will be clear.
