rehabilitation
Britishnoun
-
the act or process of rehabilitating
-
med
-
the treatment of physical disabilities by massage, electrotherapy, or exercises
-
( as modifier )
rehabilitation centre
-
Explanation
Rehabilitation is the act of restoring something to its original state, like the rehabilitation of the forest that had once been cleared for use as an amusement park. The noun rehabilitation comes from the Latin prefix re-, meaning “again” and habitare, meaning “make fit.” When something falls in to disrepair and needs to be restored to a better condition, it needs rehabilitation. People seek rehabilitation after an accident or surgery to restore their strength, or to learn to live without drugs or other addictive substances or behaviors.
Vocabulary lists containing rehabilitation
Flowers for Algernon
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
A Long Way Gone
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
But lawyers for the boys argued the judge had approached sentencing correctly, giving the best chance of rehabilitation while protecting against future offending.
From BBC • Jul. 1, 2026
The researchers are particularly interested in applications for stroke rehabilitation and speech recovery.
From Science Daily • Jun. 23, 2026
The 50-year-old’s death came on the eve of what was to be an ambitious and potentially lucrative rehabilitation of his career after years of controversy.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 22, 2026
NCST, a nonprofit that aims to boost affordable housing and fight neighborhood blight, praised provisions related to preservation and rehabilitation.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 22, 2026
A millionaire named Parkhurst had willed his library there; he had probably been interested in the rehabilitation program.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
![]()
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.