rejoin
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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to come again into the company of.
to rejoin a party after a brief absence.
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to join together again; reunite.
verb (used without object)
verb
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to come again into company with (someone or something)
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(tr) to put or join together again; reunite
verb
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to say (something) in reply; answer, reply, or retort
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law to answer (a claimant's reply)
Etymology
Origin of rejoin1
First recorded in 1535–45; re- + join
Origin of rejoin2
1425–75; late Middle English rejoinen < Anglo-French rejoyner, variant of Middle French rejoindre, equivalent to re- re- + joindre to join
Explanation
To rejoin is to reunite or reconnect with, the way you rejoin your friends at the amusement park after they get off the terrifying rollercoaster. When you go away from someone and then meet up again, you rejoin them. You can also rejoin a club or organization: "I quit band in sixth grade but decided to rejoin this year." In a courtroom, to rejoin is to respond to a plaintiff's statement — it's sometimes described as a reply to a reply. A less common meaning is "sharp, quick response." When one kindergartener calls another "stinky," she might rejoin, "I know you are, but what am I?"
Vocabulary lists containing rejoin
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.
DiGenova, who hadn’t worked as a prosecutor for decades, asked Medetis Long to rejoin the probe, people familiar with the team said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026
She would be moving from being a full-time homemaker and mother, which requires physical and emotional labor, to rejoin the workforce.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026
Sanchez echoed Macron's comments, saying if the UK asks to rejoin "then of course Spain would applaud it and open its arms again to a brotherly people".
From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026
He declined to rejoin the band when it reformed in 2001.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
They watched him rejoin the rest of the Slytherin team, who put their heads together, no doubt asking Malfoy whether Harry’s broom really was a Firebolt.
From "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
