verb

entrichten

pay

Etwas, meist Geld, offiziell bezahlen oder abgeben, weil es verlangt wird.

Definition & meaning

entrichten is a formal German verb meaning to pay, remit, or discharge an amount that is owed, especially taxes, fees, duties, or other official payments.

It is often used when the payment is required by law, a contract, or an official regulation:

to pay a fee: eine Gebühr entrichten
to pay taxes: Steuern entrichten
to pay a duty: einen Zoll entrichten

Compared with the neutral verb zahlen , entrichten sounds more formal, bureaucratic, and official.

It can also mean to fulfil or discharge a financial obligation, as in paying an amount that is due.

Grammar & Word origin

Infinitive: entrichten
Verb type: weak, transitive verb
Present tense: ich entrichte
Simple past: ich entrichtete
Past participle: entrichtet
Auxiliary verb: haben
Example: Die Firma hat die Abgabe entrichtet.
“The company paid the levy.”

The prefix ent- is combined with richten , historically conveying the idea of settling or putting something in order. The related noun is Entrichtung , meaning “payment” or “remittance.”

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms

zahlen — the general, neutral word for “to pay”; it is much more common in everyday speech.
bezahlen — “to pay for something” or “to settle a bill”; more everyday and broader than entrichten.
abführen — “to remit” or “to pay over,” especially taxes, social-security contributions, or money collected on behalf of an authority.
leisten — “to make” or “to provide” a payment or contribution; it focuses more on fulfilling an obligation than on the act of payment itself.

Antonyms

There is no single exact antonym in every context. Depending on the situation, possible opposites include:

verweigern — to refuse to pay or provide something that is required.
einbehalten — to withhold or retain money instead of paying it over.
schulden — to owe money; this describes the unpaid obligation rather than the act of paying it.