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reincarnate

American  
[ree-in-kahr-neyt, ree-in-kahr-nit, -neyt] / ˌri ɪnˈkɑr neɪt, ˌri ɪnˈkɑr nɪt, -neɪt /

verb (used with object)

  • reincarnates,
    present (3rd person singular)
  • reincarnated,
    past participle,  past
  • reincarnating
    present participle
  1. to give another body to; incarnate again.


adjective

  1. incarnate anew.

reincarnate British  

verb

  1. to cause to undergo reincarnation; be born again

"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

adjective

  1. born again in a new body

"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

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of reincarnate

First recorded in 1855–60; re- + incarnate

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.

See Examples For:

So John Gradus is a journeyer in his own right, learning where he went wrong in life to reach the Lethe and reincarnate.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 22, 2025

"We learned a lot of lessons, we had a lot of dialogue - we need to reincarnate that, these groups need to get going again."

From BBC Mar. 21, 2022

Several members of the Lancet task force say they hope the group can reincarnate itself under another organization and continue its work.

From Science Magazine Oct. 17, 2021

“Among the Igbo people, someone who dies is meant to be buried among his ancestors so that he will reincarnate with his family instead of with strangers,” Iloanya said.

From Washington Post Jun. 21, 2021

“Our people say that we all reincarnate, don’t they?” she said.

From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Never count out Oscar winner Angelina Jolie, who reincarnates Maria Callas in ‘Maria,’ or Nicole Kidman, who pulls out the stops in Venice best-actress winner ‘Babygirl.’

From Los Angeles Times Nov. 21, 2024

In the often-thrilling, often-frustrating revival of the 1978 dancical, which reincarnates the spirit and choreography of Bob Fosse, the two possibilities are much the same.

From New York Times Mar. 19, 2023

It’s like an animated and philosophical version of “A Dog’s Purpose,” except the dog never reincarnates into new bodies, just changes names and owners over the course of one life span.

From Washington Post Jun. 17, 2020

These four gigs celebrate Acoustic Ladyland as it winds up under its present name and reincarnates.

From The Guardian Dec. 4, 2010

You see, when one hasn’t been very good in the life one has just lived, one reincarnates in some lower organism. 

From Beasts and Super-Beasts by Saki

Rasputin is in fact an ex-Green Beret from Buffalo, N.Y., named Patrick, but he had a religious awakening and now claims to be the reincarnated spirit of the notorious Russian mystic.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 3, 2026

The 2CV, an iconic Citroen model popular for much of the Twentieth Century, will be coming back after production ceased in 1990, reincarnated as an electric vehicle, Citroen announced Thursday.

From Barron's May 21, 2026

He answered listener conundrums, including which Gabfest host would make the best dictator and what pastry he’d like to be reincarnated as.

From Slate Dec. 18, 2025

As a reincarnated candidate, he trudged on for a few months before dropping out for good, having failed to secure a single convention delegate or win double-digit support in any contest.

From Los Angeles Times Nov. 30, 2025

Padva wears a dress of black silk, hand embroidered with intricate patterns of cherry blossoms, something like a kimono reincarnated as a gown.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

I did not enter Aim Lab and KovaaK’s with the goal of reincarnating into an ace on the competitive ladder, but it would be nice to not suck.

From The Verge Jun. 29, 2022

We don't know much about him.He was hospitalized, institutionalized, and then he's been running amok for 43 years ever since, kind of reincarnating with every return of the franchise.

From Salon Oct. 20, 2021

Tom: I don’t mind a team that is rebuilding, but I don’t want one that is reincarnating.

From Washington Post Mar. 8, 2020

If I succeed I will let you know by reincarnating as a check mark.

From Slate Jun. 5, 2016

Instead, they have a bundle of energy, and that bundle of energy is transitory, migrating from one body to another, reincarnating endlessly until it eventually reaches enlightenment.

From "Looking for Alaska" by John Green

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