Synonyms

rehabilitate

American

[ree-huh-bil-i-teyt, ree-uh-] / ˌri həˈbɪl ɪˌteɪt, ˌri ə- /

verb (used with object)

to restore to a condition of good health, ability to work, or the like.
to restore to good condition, operation, or management, as a bankrupt business.

Synonyms:

refurbish, reconstruct, recondition, restore, salvage
to reestablish the good reputation of (a person, one's character or name, etc.).
to restore formally to former capacity, standing, rank, rights, or privileges.

verb (used without object)

to undergo rehabilitation.

rehabilitate British

/ ˌriːəˈbɪlɪˌteɪt /

verb

to help (a person who has acquired a disability or addiction or who has just been released from prison) to readapt to society or a new job, as by vocational guidance, retraining, or therapy
to restore to a former position or rank
to restore the good reputation of

"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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of rehabilitate

1570–80; < Medieval Latin rehabilitātus, past participle of rehabilitāre to restore. See re-, habilitate

Explanation

If you have been in a bad accident or have an addiction problem, you may go away for a stretch of time to rehabilitate yourself or, in other words, bring yourself back to health. Though we hear a lot about rehabilitation or "rehab" in the press in connection with drugs or alcohol, the word rehabilitate has a lot of other meanings. You can rehabilitate a building's structure by reinforcing it with steel beams, or rehabilitate your bad reputation by staying after school to help clean up the grounds.

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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.

If you bring them right now, it's easier to rehabilitate.

From BBC • May 8, 2026

Although the craze is high right now, Reformer was invented by Joseph Pilates during World War I, when he adapted hospital beds with springs to help rehabilitate patients.

From BBC • May 4, 2026

Academics were useful props as Epstein embarked on a campaign to rehabilitate his image as a science-oriented philanthropist after his 2008 criminal conviction.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026

The publicist’s participation in the gala came at a pivotal time for Epstein, who was seeking to rehabilitate his image, which had been badly damaged by his 2008 conviction.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 16, 2026

“Of course. I can’t rehabilitate this eagle without you,” she says.

From "A Bird Will Soar" by Alison Green Myers

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023