rebirth
Americannoun
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a new or second birth.
the rebirth of the soul.
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a renewed existence, activity, or growth; renaissance or revival.
the rebirth of conservatism.
noun
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a revival or renaissance
the rebirth of learning
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a second or new birth; reincarnation
Etymology
Origin of rebirth
Compare meaning
How does rebirth compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A rebirth can be a literal reincarnation — being born for a second time in a new body — and it can also mean a brand new beginning, like the rebirth of swing dancing in the 21st century. If you're convinced that after your goldfish died, it was born again in the form of a crow, you believe in rebirth. Many religious traditions include the concept of rebirth. Even if you're not sure about reincarnation, you might describe a renewal or revival this way: "She's hoping for a rebirth of film photography," or "The money from his dad resulted in the rebirth of his business."
Vocabulary lists containing rebirth
The Vernal Vocabulary of Spring
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"Curtis Aikens and the American Dream" and "Go For It!"
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Jimmy Carter, Speech from July 15, 1979
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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.
Appeared in the January 22, 2026, print edition as 'Creative Rebirth in Rome'.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 21, 2026
Square Enix has said Rebirth - which released exclusively on PlayStation 5 - did not perform as well as it had hoped, and it recently confirmed a PC version would be coming soon.
From BBC • Dec. 16, 2024
The first two games, subtitled Remake and Rebirth, released to excellent reviews and both were nominated for a string of awards.
From BBC • Dec. 16, 2024
Bernard Tamas, a political scientist at Valdosta State University and the author of “The Demise and Rebirth of American Third Parties,” told Salon that this strategy is known as the “sting like a bee” strategy.
From Salon • Oct. 26, 2024
The revelation sought for was not so much a dogmatic revelation as a revelation of the processes of "transmutation" of Rebirth, of Apotheosis or "Deification."
From The Gnôsis of the Light by Lamplugh, F.
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.