rehabilitation
Britishnoun
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the act or process of rehabilitating
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med
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the treatment of physical disabilities by massage, electrotherapy, or exercises
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( as modifier )
rehabilitation centre
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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
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A Long Way Gone
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The Perks of Being a Wallflower
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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.
It’s “death by a thousand cuts,” said Steve Sadro, UC Davis environmental science and policy department chair who works on Clear Lake rehabilitation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
On the day of Violet’s release, Claire Phillips, a wildlife rehabilitation technician with the center, recalled the pup’s difficult recovery.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
"Both individuals will continue to be monitored while they are at the rescue and rehabilitation center."
From Barron's ● Sep. 5, 2026
After doctors remove the clot, recovery depends largely on rehabilitation.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 4, 2026
The hospital employed top-notch military surgeons and offered excellent rehabilitation services, geared to handle the most devastating of battlefield injuries.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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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.