reincarnation

American  

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

noun

• reincarnations
  plural

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

Derived Forms

• reincarnationist
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• reincarnations
  plural

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

See Examples For:

reincarnation reincarnations

I realized that even if siblings share the same parents and DNA, our thinking is completely different, which helped me believe in karma and reincarnation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 4, 2026

Tibetan Buddhists believe he is the 14th reincarnation of a spiritual leader first born in 1391.

From Barron's ● Feb. 2, 2026

I believe in reincarnation, and I was definitely from over there in my last life.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 26, 2025

Living in exile since fleeing Chinese rule in 1959, the Dalai Lama has previously said his reincarnation will take place in the "free world", meaning outside of China.

From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2025

Unsure how to act in the company of a divine presence, this living reincarnation of an ancient and illustrious lama, I was terrified of unwittingly giving offense or committing some irredeemable faux pas.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer

Yet through all the retirements and the restlessness, the rejections and the reincarnations, Parker has always managed to land on his feet.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 14, 2025

Sometime soon we’ll see him as the man a woman falls in love with over and over again through various reincarnations in an indie called “Timestalker.”

From Salon ● May 11, 2024

She says many features of ongoing climate change are reincarnations of the past warm climates.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 10, 2023

The marks also held stories of pain, reincarnations and beauty.

From BBC ● May 20, 2022

It told the story of Rama, one of the reincarnations of the god Vishnu, who fought a ten-headed demon to rescue his wife.

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