reincarnation

[ ree-in-kahr-ney-shuh n ]

/ ˌri ɪn kɑrˈneɪ ʃən /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR reincarnation ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the belief that the soul, upon death of the body, comes back to earth in another body or form.

rebirth of the soul in a new body.

a new incarnation or embodiment, as of a person.

RELATED WORDS

transmigration, metempsychosis

Nearby words

reimpression, reims, rein, rein in, reincarnate, reincarnation, reindeer, reindeer lake, reindeer moss, reindustrialization, reindustrialize

Origin of reincarnation

First recorded in 1855–60; re- + incarnation

Related forms

re·in·car·na·tion·ist, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for reincarnation

Yes, he has declared himself to be a reincarnation of Kabir.
Is India’s Fallen ‘God-Man’ So Different From a Megachurch Pastor?|Jay Michaelson|November 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There is a notion of reincarnation; namely, that our children are really returning ancestors.
Joseph Campbell on the Roots of Halloween|Joseph Campbell|October 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“Russia Today it is the reincarnation of the international,” he said.
The Bolshevik Who Thinks ‘The Nation’ Is Too Left Wing|Eli Lake|October 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Luqman and Khader said that within the religion there are also seven angels and a belief in reincarnation.
Fighting Back With Faith: Inside the Yezidis’ Iraqi Temple|Michael Luongo|August 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Janis Joplin (who did not make the final cut) once said she thought of herself as the reincarnation of Smith.
The 100 Coolest Americans Gather at the National Portrait Gallery|William O’Connor|February 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Reincarnation represents continuous evolution with no waste of time or loss of energy.
Elementary Theosophy|L. W. Rogers
Hes a reincarnation of some drowned ancestor who went fishing ages ago, and never came back.
A Singular Life|Elizabeth Stuart Phelps
In the light of reincarnation it is probable that neither can occur there without anterior cause.
The Lords of the Ghostland|Edgar Saltus
But this conclusion presupposes that the tribes of which we have just been speaking admit the doctrine of reincarnation.
The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life|Emile Durkheim
But it is necessary to distinguish between the soul which appears hereditarily and that which returns by reincarnation.
The Man With the Black Feather|Gaston Leroux

British Dictionary definitions for reincarnation

reincarnation

/ (ˌriːɪnkɑːˈneɪʃən) /

noun

the belief that on the death of the body the soul transmigrates to or is born again in another body

the incarnation or embodiment of a soul in a new body after it has left the old one at physical death

embodiment again in a new form, as of a principle or idea

Derived Forms

reincarnationist, noun, adjective

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

Culture definitions for reincarnation

reincarnation

Being reborn in another body. Several religions, including Hinduism, believe that the human spirit returns to Earth in different forms again and again as it strives for perfection.