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reincarnate

American  
[ree-in-kahr-neyt, ree-in-kahr-nit, -neyt] / ˌri ɪnˈkɑr neɪt, ˌri ɪnˈkɑr nɪt, -neɪt /

verb (used with object)

reincarnates, present (3rd person singular) reincarnated, past participle, past reincarnating present participle
  1. to give another body to; incarnate again.


adjective

  1. incarnate anew.

reincarnate British  

verb

  1. to cause to undergo reincarnation; be born again

"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

adjective

  1. born again in a new body

"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

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of reincarnate

First recorded in 1855–60; re- + incarnate

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:

"We learned a lot of lessons, we had a lot of dialogue - we need to reincarnate that, these groups need to get going again."

From BBC Mar. 21, 2022

Several members of the Lancet task force say they hope the group can reincarnate itself under another organization and continue its work.

From Science Magazine Oct. 17, 2021

“Among the Igbo people, someone who dies is meant to be buried among his ancestors so that he will reincarnate with his family instead of with strangers,” Iloanya said.

From Washington Post Jun. 21, 2021

The script doesn’t reincarnate so much as it recycles, drawing freely on the nested realities of “Inception,” the free-your-mind metaphysics of “The Matrix” and the amnesiac-assassin revelations of the Jason Bourne movies.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 10, 2021

“Our people say that we all reincarnate, don’t they?” she said.

From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Never count out Oscar winner Angelina Jolie, who reincarnates Maria Callas in ‘Maria,’ or Nicole Kidman, who pulls out the stops in Venice best-actress winner ‘Babygirl.’

From Los Angeles Times Nov. 21, 2024

It’s like an animated and philosophical version of “A Dog’s Purpose,” except the dog never reincarnates into new bodies, just changes names and owners over the course of one life span.

From Washington Post Jun. 17, 2020

Later, Johor himself reincarnates as an infant human and grows to full adulthood as one George Sherban, a messiah figure who will help humanity through the coming apocalypse.

From The Guardian Jul. 22, 2013

So when we say ‘reincarnation,’ it may be our singular soul that reincarnates again and again and again.

From New York Times Aug. 27, 2010

And in the same sense Aristotle denies the doctrine of Pythagoras and Plato that the soul reincarnates itself in new bodies, particularly in the bodies of animals.

From A Critical History of Greek Philosophy by Stace, W. T. (Walter Terence)

Rasputin is in fact an ex-Green Beret from Buffalo, N.Y., named Patrick, but he had a religious awakening and now claims to be the reincarnated spirit of the notorious Russian mystic.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 3, 2026

The 2CV, an iconic Citroen model popular for much of the Twentieth Century, will be coming back after production ceased in 1990, reincarnated as an electric vehicle, Citroen announced Thursday.

From Barron's May 21, 2026

"It got to the point that rumours circulated among North Koreans that Kim Il Sung had been reincarnated."

From BBC May 5, 2026

He answered listener conundrums, including which Gabfest host would make the best dictator and what pastry he’d like to be reincarnated as.

From Slate Dec. 18, 2025

She didn’t look like a reincarnated Pandava any more than Aru did.

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

I did not enter Aim Lab and KovaaK’s with the goal of reincarnating into an ace on the competitive ladder, but it would be nice to not suck.

From The Verge Jun. 29, 2022

We don't know much about him.He was hospitalized, institutionalized, and then he's been running amok for 43 years ever since, kind of reincarnating with every return of the franchise.

From Salon Oct. 20, 2021

Tom: I don’t mind a team that is rebuilding, but I don’t want one that is reincarnating.

From Washington Post Mar. 8, 2020

If I succeed I will let you know by reincarnating as a check mark.

From Slate Jun. 5, 2016

Instead, they have a bundle of energy, and that bundle of energy is transitory, migrating from one body to another, reincarnating endlessly until it eventually reaches enlightenment.

From "Looking for Alaska" by John Green

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