reinstate
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
has reinstatedperfect 3rd person singular
-
have reinstatedperfect
-
is reinstatingprogressive 3rd person singular
-
have been reinstatingperfect progressive
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has been reinstatingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
am reinstatingprogressive 1st person singular
-
reinstatessingular 3rd person
-
reinstatingparticiple
-
are reinstatingprogressive
Past
-
had reinstatedperfect
-
were reinstatingprogressive plural
-
had been reinstatingperfect progressive
-
reinstatedparticiple
-
reinstatedsimple
-
was reinstatingprogressive singular
Future
Etymology
Origin of reinstate
Explanation
When you reinstate someone, you return that person to a position or job. A principal might reinstate a laid off teacher when the school starts hiring again. Bosses can reinstate employees, countries can reinstate kings and queens, and governments can reinstate, or bring back, old laws. For example, during times of war the United States could very well reinstate the draft, which is not currently a law but has been in the past. Although it's not as common as reinstate, the word instate, from which it comes, means "to put someone in a certain state or condition."
Vocabulary lists containing reinstate
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
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The Unteachables
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This Week In Culture: August 8–14, 2020
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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.
At the University of California, hundreds of professors wrote a letter last week urging the UC regents to reinstate entrance-exam requirements.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026
Deputies have been summoned to a full session of the assembly on Tuesday morning to reinstate Sonko as a member of parliament and vote for a new speaker, said an official document published late Sunday.
From Barron's • May 24, 2026
It’s critical, she said, to restore the historical function of the Environmental Protection Agency and reinstate protections for air and water.
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026
The award was meant to reward Musk with shares if the Delaware court declined to reinstate Musk’s pay package.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 27, 2026
If Luma decided to reinstate the Fifteens, they’d have perhaps three practices before their first game.
From "Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference" by Warren St. John
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.
