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• resurrection
  resurrection

  noun

  the act of rising from the dead.
• Resurrection
  Resurrection

  noun

  the rising again of Christ from the tomb three days after his death

resurrection

American  

[rez-uh-rek-shuhn] / ˌrɛz əˈrɛk ʃən /

noun

1. the act of rising from the dead.

2. Christianity. Resurrection, the rising of Christ after His death and burial.

3. Religion. Resurrection, the rising of the dead on Judgment Day.

4. the state of those risen from the dead.

5. a rising again, as from decay, disuse, etc.; revival.

6. Christian Science. a rising above mortality through the understanding of spiritual life as demonstrated by Jesus Christ.

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Resurrection ¹ British  

/ ˌrɛzəˈrɛkʃən /

noun

1. the rising again of Christ from the tomb three days after his death

2. the rising again from the dead of all mankind at the Last Judgment

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resurrection ² British  

/ ˌrɛzəˈrɛkʃən /

noun

1. a supposed act or instance of a dead person coming back to life

2. belief in the possibility of this as part of a religious or mystical system

3. the condition of those who have risen from the dead

   we shall all live in the resurrection

4. the revival of something

   a resurrection of an old story

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Resurrection Cultural  

1. The rising of Jesus from the tomb after his death; a central and distinctive belief of the Christian faith. The Gospels state that after Jesus was crucified and lay in a tomb between Friday evening and Sunday morning, he rose, in body as well as in spirit, and appeared alive to his followers. His resurrection is the basis for the Christian belief that not only Jesus but all Christians will triumph over death. Christians celebrate the Resurrection on Easter Sunday.

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Other Word Forms

• nonresurrection
  noun
• postresurrection
  noun
• nonresurrectional
  adjective
• postresurrectional
  adjective
• resurrectional
  adjective
• resurrective
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of resurrection

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Old French, from Latin resurrēctiōn-, stem of resurrēctiō, the Easter church festival, from resurrēct(us) “risen again” (past participle of resurgere “to rise again”; see resurge ( def. )) + -iō -ion ( def. )

Explanation

Resurrection describes something that has been brought back to life — literally or figuratively. A zombie resurrection may occur in that scary movie you're watching, or a fashion designer may bring about the resurrection of the a-line skirt. First used in the 13th century, the noun resurrection comes from the Latin word resurgere, meaning "rise again." It can refer literally to a rising from the dead, but you're more likely to hear the word describe something that's figuratively brought back to life — meaning, it's been revived after a time of inactivity or decline. If a pitcher who has been in a slump throws a perfect game, that could be considered a resurrection of his baseball career.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

resurrection Resurrection

The resurrection of that soda line also includes a zero-sugar version.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026

He’d become fascinated by Penn after seeing a visionary plan for its resurrection drafted by architect Vishaan Chakrabarti in the New York Times.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 13, 2026

The shape of Kelly’s resurrection holds clues about how much deeper it could go.

From Slate ● May 6, 2026

As the church prepares Sunday to celebrate Christ’s resurrection on Easter, its members call for renewal and liberation of their homeland as the fate of its governance hangs in the balance.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 4, 2026

As Jefferson put it so graphically, their larger goal was “to sink federalism into an abyss from which there shall be no resurrection of it.”

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

Against this tense backdrop, Rome is preparing to welcome thousands of worshippers for the Easter celebrations, the most important feast in the Christian calendar, which commemorates the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

From Barron's ● Apr. 1, 2026

If the Renaissance had been known as the Resurrection, might we be more aware of the period’s metaphysical colorings?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2025

Where since the 1980s, Father John Moretta has counseled parishioners at Resurrection Church in Boyle Heights on the troubles that afflict their neighborhood.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 23, 2025

He says there was also "blissed-out dancing" during Fools Gold and "everyone's arms in the air" for I Am the Resurrection.

From BBC ● Apr. 12, 2025

The Resurrection Stone slipped from between his numb fingers, and out of the corner of his eyes he saw his parents, Sirius, and Lupin vanish as he stepped forward into the firelight.

From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling

Related Words

• reappearance
• rebirth
• restoration
• resurgence
• revival