the act of rising from the dead.
Christianity. Resurrection, the rising of Christ after His death and burial.
Religion. Resurrection, the rising of the dead on Judgment Day.
the state of those risen from the dead.
a rising again, as from decay, disuse, etc.; revival.
Christian Science. a rising above mortality through the understanding of spiritual life as demonstrated by Jesus Christ.
a supposed act or instance of a dead person coming back to life
belief in the possibility of this as part of a religious or mystical system
the condition of those who have risen from the dead
we shall all live in the resurrection
the revival of something
a resurrection of an old story
the rising again of Christ from the tomb three days after his death
the rising again from the dead of all mankind at the Last Judgment
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Old French, from Latin resurrēctiōn-, stem of resurrēctiō, the Easter church festival, from resurrēct(us) “risen again” (past participle of resurgere “to rise again”; see resurge ( def. )) + -iō -ion ( def. )
Resurrection describes something that has been brought back to life — literally or figuratively. A zombie resurrection may occur in that scary movie you're watching, or a fashion designer may bring about the resurrection of the a-line skirt. First used in the 13th century, the noun resurrection comes from the Latin word resurgere, meaning "rise again." It can refer literally to a rising from the dead, but you're more likely to hear the word describe something that's figuratively brought back to life — meaning, it's been revived after a time of inactivity or decline. If a pitcher who has been in a slump throws a perfect game, that could be considered a resurrection of his baseball career.
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“The resurrection of the Jews is the greatest story ever told,” Ms. Wisse says, “and while our enemies were hard at work uglifying it, we told the story of the Holocaust.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
The shape of Kelly’s resurrection holds clues about how much deeper it could go.
From Slate • May 6, 2026
Referring to the Easter story of Christ's resurrection, three days after he was nailed to the cross, he said Jesus had been "entirely nonviolent" in the face of suffering.
From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026
Through Spear’s resurrection, “Primal” is quietly delivering a zombie drama that’s strangely life-affirming, led by a tenderhearted brute who is sensitive to the other voiceless, helpless beings around him.
From Salon • Feb. 1, 2026
Sitting at the head of the table, drinking a chicken broth that landed in her stomach like an elixir of resurrection, Meme then saw Fernanda and Amaranta wrapped in an accusatory halo of reality.
From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
