rehabilitate

[ ree-huh-bil-i-teyt, ree-uh- ]

/ ˌri həˈbɪl ɪˌteɪt, ˌri ə- /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR rehabilitate ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), re·ha·bil·i·tat·ed, re·ha·bil·i·tat·ing.

to restore to a condition of good health, ability to work, or the like.

to restore to good condition, operation, or management, as a bankrupt business.

to reestablish the good reputation of (a person, one's character or name, etc.).

to restore formally to former capacity, standing, rank, rights, or privileges.

verb (used without object), re·ha·bil·i·tat·ed, re·ha·bil·i·tat·ing.

to undergo rehabilitation.

Nearby words

regurgitate, regurgitation, regurgitation jaundice, rehab, rehabilitant, rehabilitate, rehabilitation, rehabilitation department, rehash, rehearing, rehearsal

Origin of rehabilitate

1570–80; < Medieval Latin rehabilitātus, past participle of rehabilitāre to restore. See re-, habilitate

SYNONYMS FOR rehabilitate

2 salvage, restore, recondition, reconstruct, refurbish.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR rehabilitate ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

re·ha·bil·i·ta·tion, nounre·ha·bil·i·ta·tive, adjectivere·ha·bil·i·ta·tor, nounnon·re·ha·bil·i·ta·tion, noun

non·re·ha·bil·i·ta·tive, adjectiveun·re·ha·bil·i·tat·ed, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for rehabilitate

"I did all the work to get my fastball back, to rehabilitate my shoulder," he says.
Will the Real Jim Palmer Please Stand Up|Tom Boswell|September 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
To rehabilitate his battered public image, he needs to do more than take selfies on the steps of City Hall.
Can De Blasio Be Less Blah? The Mayor Who Needs a Makeover|Lloyd Grove|March 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This is clearly a step by Zimmerman to rehabilitate his image so he can hopefully profit off his fame down the line.
George Zimmerman Wants to Profit Off Trayvon Martin’s Death|Dean Obeidallah|February 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The only good news for Rubio is that his immigration gambit occurred early enough for him to rehabilitate and recover.
Six Events From 2013 That Will Affect the 2016 White House Race|David Catanese|December 18, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Punishment should be enough to deter, to punish, and in the case of incorrigibles, to rehabilitate.
Some Things Are Beyond Punishment|Megan McArdle|June 25, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The money came and went–he could pay Blount at any time–but it was better to rehabilitate the mine.
Shadow Mountain|Dane Coolidge
But Manasseh did far worse than rehabilitate the worship at the high places which his father had discouraged.
The Expositor's Bible|F. W. Farrar
I do not ask you to take it upon yourself to rehabilitate me in your own estimation.
Out of the Ashes|Ethel Watts Mumford
Gibbon tells us how shrewd Pope Boniface professed but to rehabilitate old customs when he revived the secular games in Rome.
The Collector|Henry T. Tuckerman
I have merely tried to rehabilitate the pariahs of the great mercantile world by reviving the lost art of perambulating publicity.
H. R.|Edwin Lefevre

British Dictionary definitions for rehabilitate

rehabilitate

/ (ˌriːəˈbɪlɪˌteɪt) /

verb (tr)

to help (a person who has acquired a disability or addiction or who has just been released from prison) to readapt to society or a new job, as by vocational guidance, retraining, or therapy

to restore to a former position or rank

to restore the good reputation of

Derived Forms

rehabilitative, adjective

Word Origin for rehabilitate

C16: from Medieval Latin rehabilitāre to restore, from re- + Latin habilitās skill, ability

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

Medicine definitions for rehabilitate

rehabilitate

[ rē′hə-bĭl′ĭ-tāt′ ]

v.

To restore to good health or useful life, as through therapy and education.

To restore to good condition, operation, or capacity.

Related forms

re′ha•bil′i•ta′tion n.re′ha•bil′i•ta′tive adj.