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Synonyms

rehabilitation

British  
/ ˌriːəˌbɪlɪˈteɪʃən /

noun

  1. the act or process of rehabilitating

  2. med

    1. the treatment of physical disabilities by massage, electrotherapy, or exercises

    2. ( as modifier )

      rehabilitation centre

"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

rehabilitation Cultural  
  1. In politics, the restoration to favor of a political leader whose views or actions were formerly considered unacceptable. (Compare nonperson.)


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.

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Vocabulary lists containing rehabilitation

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.

See Examples For:

To investigate whether additional rehabilitation could help, researchers at La Trobe University's Sport and Exercise Medicine Research Centre conducted the SUPER-Knee clinical trial.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 14, 2026

The findings could influence how clinicians approach rehabilitation long after ACL surgery, particularly for patients whose symptoms continue beyond the usual recovery period.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 14, 2026

In recent months, Depp’s rehabilitation has appeared to gain steam.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 13, 2026

The official said a new Default Resolution Hub “will be designed to take the lead in assisting borrowers with rehabilitation or consolidation.”

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 12, 2026

Instructors for the educational rehabilitation programs came from Harvard, Boston University, and other educational institutions in the area.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey

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