noun
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the act or an instance of reversing
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a change for the worse; reverse
a reversal of fortune
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the state of being reversed
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the annulment of a judicial decision, esp by an appeal court on grounds of error or irregularity
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of reversal
Explanation
A reversal is a change of decision or direction, often to the opposite. You liked history, but thought you'd major in business because there were more jobs. Then you took an economics class and hated it. So in a reversal, you majored in history after all. In legal terms, a reversal is when a high court decides the decision of a lower court is incorrect and should be overturned. In a reversal, the Supreme Court overturned the guilty verdict of the lower court, and the prisoner was set free. A setback or a change in circumstances for the worse is also a reversal. If you make poor investments, you may suffer a reversal in fortune and go from shopping for designer clothes to shopping at thrift stores.
Vocabulary lists containing reversal
Novel Study: Of Mice and Men, Chapters 1–3
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Literary Element: The Speech & Analyze Literature
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -al, -ial
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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.
"Our findings suggest that this may be an example of what is known as a medical reversal, where broadly used therapy proves ineffective or even harmful."
From Science Daily • May 6, 2026
Those markdowns caused a reversal of previously awarded incentive fees for the fund managers.
From Barron's • Apr. 28, 2026
Rice prices, for example, were 3.6% higher in March compared with a year earlier, a sharp reversal from February, when prices dropped 3.4%, according to government statistics.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026
The sudden reversal comes as diplomatic efforts involving the United States, regional mediators and Iranian officials remain in flux, with talks shifting in structure and location as officials attempt to sustain fragile momentum toward de-escalation.
From Salon • Apr. 25, 2026
He did not know that this day, after enduring more than a week of bad news, he would enjoy a stunning reversal of fortune.
From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson
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.
