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reincarnate

American  
[ree-in-kahr-nayt, ree-in-kahr-nit, -nayt] / 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:

Fast-forward and The Times would chronicle the visit of a Tibetan lama reincarnate in 1995, the comings and goings of various rides, employee protests, the park’s pandemic closure, and price hikes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 20, 2023

"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

“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

The atom, although it possesses life and a certain degree of mind, and acts as an individual temporarily, has no permanent individuality that reincarnates.

From A Series of Lessons in Gnani Yoga by William Walker Atkinson

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

One of the first questions was what to call the reincarnated institution.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 2, 2026

Throughout the book, elements from a talking fish to a possibly reincarnated dog exist alongside the bleak reality of a country so downtrodden and occupied that even its cartography isn’t in its own language.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 30, 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

“Maybe the souls of demons get to be reincarnated? Like us.”

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

To do this, they have developed the technology to transplant a person’s soul onto a sort of USB stick, so it won’t keep reincarnating.

From Slate ● Jun. 10, 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

No one knew for sure when a soul that was reincarnating would enter the foetus.

From Salon ● Apr. 21, 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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