rehire

American  

[ree-hahyuhr] / ˌriˈhaɪər /

verb (used with object)

1. to engage the services of (someone) for wages or other payment a second or subsequent time (often used in the passive).

   More than half of the dismissed teachers were rehired the following year.

   Officials have said they hope to rehire many of the 900 employees who were laid off when the hospital closed.

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noun

1. an act or instance of engaging someone’s services for payment a second or subsequent time.

   A transfer within the group of related companies is considered continuous employment, not a termination and a rehire.

2. a person whose services have been engaged for payment a second or subsequent time.

   Rehires are eligible to have their retirement benefits reinstated after a 30-day waiting period.

Etymology

Origin of rehire

First recorded in 1760–70; re- ( def. ) + hire ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

rehire

This is already playing out at a handful of companies that proclaimed a pivot to AI and later had to either rehire employees or increase head count.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 21, 2026

Other promises in the party's "Worker's Charter" include protection from unfair dismissal from the first day in a job, as well as full bans on fire and rehire and zero-hour contracts.

From BBC ● May 1, 2026

It cannot instantly rehire workers who found other jobs.

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 19, 2026

There’s also a pledge to rehire the hundreds of thousands of federal workers laid off since Oct.

From Slate ● Nov. 12, 2025

“Interesting theory, Patricia. But please rehire your custodian. Immediately. I, for one, don’t enjoy the fragrant aromas of ripe garbage and raw sewage.”

From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein

Related Words

• bring back
• reelect
• reestablish
• reintroduce
• renew
• replace
• restore
• revive