retorno

Retorno is a Portuguese noun that denotes the act or result of returning to a place, state, or previous condition. It also refers to a reply or response, and, in technical contexts, to the value produced by a function. The term derives from retornar, which in turn comes from Latin retornare (re- meaning “back” + tornare “to turn”).

In everyday language, retorno can describe returning to a location or to normal conditions, as well as the act of replying to a message or inquiry.

In finance, retorno is commonly used to mean return on investment: the income or gain earned from an investment relative to the principal. It can be expressed as gross or net return and is analyzed alongside risk, time horizon, and other performance metrics such as yield or rate of return.

In computing, the retorno of a function is the value that a function yields upon completion; many programming languages use a return statement to specify this value.

In customer service and communications, retorno can refer to feedback or an answer given in response to an outreach.

Notes: for product exchanges or refunds, the term devolução is more typical in Portuguese; retorno emphasizes the result or act of returning, rather than the act of returning an item. Usage varies between Brazilian and European Portuguese but is widely understood in all contexts.