payback
1 ENTRIES FOUND:
plural
paybacks
plural
paybacks
Britannica Dictionary definition of PAYBACK
1
[noncount]
:
punishment for something that was done in the past
—
see also pay back at 1pay
-
This is payback [=this is my revenge] for all the pain you've caused me.
-
They beat our team last year, so we've got to beat them this year as payback.
-
You've ruined my life, and now it's payback time. [=now I'm going to hurt you because you hurt me]
2
[count]
:
an amount of money that you receive after investing in something and that is equal to or greater than the amount of money that you originally invested
— usually singular
— sometimes used figuratively
-
The investment has yielded a big payback for the company.
-
While these cars are expensive, there's a significant payback in terms of safety. [=the safety of the cars make them worth their high cost]
3
[count]
:
the amount of time that passes before invested money is returned or before money that is owed is paid
— usually singular
-
a five-year payback
-
The payback period is expected to be less than six months on this investment.
-
The loan calls for a two-year payback period.
