Restitution
Etymology
From Latin “restituere” (to restore or rebuild), from “re-” (again) plus “statuere” (to set up), from “stare” (to stand). Restitution literally sets something back up where it stood — the restoration of a prior state.
noun · /res-tuh-TOO-shun/
The return of what was wrongly taken, or repayment of a gain unjustly obtained, so the wrongdoer does not keep the benefit.
What it names
The remedy focused on giving back rather than making whole — reach for it when the point is stripping an ill-gotten gain, not measuring the victim’s loss.
Example
The court ordered the embezzler to pay full restitution of the $80,000 he had siphoned from the fund.
Related idea
The distinction from damages: damages measure the victim’s loss and compensate it, while restitution measures the wrongdoer’s gain and takes it back — the two can differ sharply in amount.