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born-again

American  
[bawrn-uh-gen, -uh-geyn] / ˈbɔrn əˌgɛn, -əˌgeɪn /

adjective

  1. committed or recommitted to religious faith through an intensely religious experience.

    a born-again Christian.

  2. reactivated or revitalized.

    a born-again conservatism in American politics.

  3. enthusiastically committed.

    a born-again jogger.

noun

  1. a person who is characterized by a newfound faith or enthusiasm.

born-again British  
/ ˈbɔːnəˌɡɛn /

adjective

  1. having experienced conversion, esp to evangelical Christianity

  2. showing the enthusiasm of one newly converted to any cause

    a born-again monetarist
"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

noun

  1. a person who shows fervent enthusiasm for a new-found cause, belief, etc

"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

Etymology

Origin of born-again

First recorded in 1965–70

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.

Right-wing provocateur Dinesh D’Souza — an Indian-American who was raised Catholic but became a born-again Christian — has also faced racist attacks.

From Salon • Oct. 21, 2025

Carter was a born-again evangelical Christian as well as a Democrat.

From Slate • Dec. 30, 2024

Out at the born-again lake, Coyote the junk dealer has contributed three kayaks and a canoe for anyone who feels like paddling.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 24, 2024

Berkowitz has since expressed remorse and said he is a born-again Christian.

From Seattle Times • May 28, 2024

In 1929, the theologian H. Richard Niebuhr described born-again Christianity as the “religion of the disinherited.”

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times

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.