reincarnation

American  

[ree-in-kahr-ney-shuhn] / ˌri ɪn kɑrˈneɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the belief that the soul, upon death of the body, comes back to earth in another body or form.

2. rebirth of the soul in a new body.

3. a new incarnation or embodiment, as of a person.

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reincarnation British  

/ ˌriːɪnkɑːˈneɪʃən /

noun

1. the belief that on the death of the body the soul transmigrates to or is born again in another body

2. the incarnation or embodiment of a soul in a new body after it has left the old one at physical death

3. embodiment again in a new form, as of a principle or idea

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reincarnation Cultural  

1. Being reborn in another body. Several religions, including Hinduism, believe that the human spirit returns to Earth in different forms again and again as it strives for perfection.

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Other Word Forms

• reincarnationist
  noun

Etymology

Origin of reincarnation

First recorded in 1855–60; re- + incarnation

Compare meaning

How does reincarnation compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• rebirth vs. reincarnation

Explanation

If you believe in reincarnation, you believe that after death a person's soul is reborn in another body. Certain religions hold this belief as a central tenet, including Hinduism and Buddhism. The noun reincarnation comes from the Latin roots re, meaning again, and incarnare, meaning to make flesh. The word reincarnation does not have to be a literal rebirth, however. The term can be used to mean a more figurative reinvention or rebirth. Your dad may have spent twenty years of his life working as a stockbroker, but after he reinvented himself, you'd be proud of his reincarnation as a math teacher.

Example Sentences

Being supernatural means death contains loopholes: Reincarnation, resurrections, time travel, timeline jumping – everything's on the table.

From Salon • Oct. 23, 2021

Mark Wahlberg stars in Antoine Fuqua’s “Infinite,” a head-trippy but otherwise formulaic action thriller based on the book “The Reincarnation Papers.”

From Washington Post • Jun. 8, 2021

She had starring roles in The Reincarnation of Peter Proud and The Great Waldo Pepper, and worked twice with writer-director Paul Mazursky.

From The Guardian • May 14, 2018

Reincarnation Blues by Michael Poore In Michael Poore’s novel Reincarnation Blues, people have 10,000 tries to get things right in their lives, and his protagonist, Milo, has had 9,995 attempts.

From The Verge • Aug. 1, 2017

Which meant that the only exit lay through the Pool of Reincarnation.

From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi