noun

RMA

AR-em-AY

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RMA (noun) means Return Merchandise Authorisation: approval from a seller for a customer to send back a faulty or unwanted item, and the reference number issued with it. Example: “Write the RMA number on the outside of the box or the warehouse will reject it.”

noun

Return Merchandise Authorisation: approval from a seller for a customer to send back a faulty or unwanted item, and the reference number issued with it.

"Write the RMA number on the outside of the box or the warehouse will reject it."

"Support raised an RMA for the dead drive the same afternoon."

trade jargon The returned item itself, or the process of handling returns.

"We're running about forty RMAs a week on that model."

British, military Royal Military Academy, the British Army's officer training establishment at Sandhurst.

"He was commissioned after a year at the RMA."

How to use RMA

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishPermission from a shop to send a faulty item back.

When to use it

Business and technical support jargon. Spelled Authorization in the American original, which is how the term is written even in British trade use.

Memory tip

An RMA is permission to return, not a promise of a refund — what happens after the goods arrive depends on the warranty terms.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

refund → warranty claim RA →

Common pairings

RMA number raise an RMA RMA request under RMA

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C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

Write the _____ number on the outside of the box or the warehouse will reject it.

Etymology

An initialism of Return Merchandise Authorization.

Origin: English

Synonyms

View more →

return authorisation returns number RA

Related words

re Ra radium

Frequently asked questions

What does RMA stand for?

Return Merchandise Authorization, sometimes given as Return Material Authorization. Both refer to the same thing: a supplier's formal approval for goods to be sent back, tracked by a unique number.

What is the difference between an RMA and a refund?

An RMA only authorises the return and lets the seller track the incoming parcel. The outcome may be a repair, a replacement or a refund, and that is decided once the item has been received and inspected.

Do I need an RMA number to return something?

For most business and electronics suppliers, yes — parcels arriving without one are often refused or left unprocessed, because the warehouse has no way to match the goods to an order.

What is the meaning of RMA?

"RMA" (noun) means return Merchandise Authorisation: approval from a seller for a customer to send back a faulty or unwanted item, and the reference number issued with it.

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re Ra radium