restituer

Restituer is a transitive French verb meaning to return something to its rightful owner or to restore something to its former state. In everyday use, it conveys giving back what has been taken or kept, and in legal or administrative contexts it often denotes a formal act of restitution or compensation for a loss. The verb is commonly used with objects (restituer un livre, restituer des biens) and with references to restoring conditions or rights (restituer l’accès, restituer à l’État).

Etymology and forms: the word comes from Latin restituere, from re- plus statuere, “to set up again.” It is a regular -er verb. Conjugation in the present tense is je restitue, tu restitues, il restitue, nous restituons, vous restituez, ils restitueront. The passé composé is formed with avoir: j’ai restitué; the imperfect: je restituais; the future: je restituerai. The subjunctive present forms are: que je restitue, que tu restitues, qu’il restitue, que nous restituions, que vous restituiez, qu’ils restituent.

Usage notes and nuances: restituer differs from rendre or remettre by carrying a sense of rightful return or restoration, often in formal, legal, or institutional contexts. Rendre is broader and more common in everyday speech, while restitu er can imply compliance with a duty to restore or repay. Typical contexts include the restitution of stolen or lost objects, the return of cultural property to its country of origin, or restituting funds unduly collected.