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  • resurrection
    resurrection
    noun
    the act of rising from the dead.
  • Resurrection
    Resurrection
    noun
    the rising again of Christ from the tomb three days after his death
Synonyms

resurrection

American  
[rez-uh-rek-shuhn] / ˌrɛz əˈrɛk ʃən /

noun

  1. the act of rising from the dead.

  2. Christianity. Resurrection, the rising of Christ after His death and burial.

  3. Religion. Resurrection, the rising of the dead on Judgment Day.

  4. the state of those risen from the dead.

  5. a rising again, as from decay, disuse, etc.; revival.

  6. Christian Science. a rising above mortality through the understanding of spiritual life as demonstrated by Jesus Christ.


resurrection 1 British  
/ ˌrɛzəˈrɛkʃən /

noun

  1. a supposed act or instance of a dead person coming back to life

  2. belief in the possibility of this as part of a religious or mystical system

  3. the condition of those who have risen from the dead

    we shall all live in the resurrection

  4. the revival of something

    a resurrection of an old story

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Resurrection 2 British  
/ ˌrɛzəˈrɛkʃən /

noun

  1. the rising again of Christ from the tomb three days after his death

  2. the rising again from the dead of all mankind at the Last Judgment

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Resurrection Cultural  
  1. The rising of Jesus from the tomb after his death; a central and distinctive belief of the Christian faith. The Gospels state that after Jesus was crucified and lay in a tomb between Friday evening and Sunday morning, he rose, in body as well as in spirit, and appeared alive to his followers. His resurrection is the basis for the Christian belief that not only Jesus but all Christians will triumph over death. Christians celebrate the Resurrection on Easter Sunday.


Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Etymology

Origin of resurrection

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. )

Explanation

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.

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Vocabulary lists containing resurrection

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"This is the resurrection of football in this country," he declared.

From BBC • May 26, 2026

The shape of Kelly’s resurrection holds clues about how much deeper it could go.

From Slate • May 6, 2026

What makes Christianity work, and always has, is the gathering together of the faithful to worship in song and in recitation of ancient creeds affirming creation, sin, salvation, and the death and resurrection of Christ.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 19, 2026

As the church prepares Sunday to celebrate Christ’s resurrection on Easter, its members call for renewal and liberation of their homeland as the fate of its governance hangs in the balance.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026

With Albert trumpeting her resurrection, she hopped inside the coop and settled herself down.

From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson

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