reincarnation

American  

[ree-in-kahr-nay-shuhn] / ˌri ɪn kɑrˈneɪ ʃən /

noun

• reincarnations
  plural

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

2. rebirth of the soul in a new body.

3. a new incarnation or embodiment, as of a person.

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reincarnation British  

/ ˌriːɪnkɑːˈneɪʃən /

noun

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

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

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

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reincarnation Cultural  

1. 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.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• reincarnationist
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• reincarnations
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of reincarnation

First recorded in 1855–60; re- + incarnation

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Compare meaning

How does reincarnation compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• rebirth vs. reincarnation

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Explanation

If you believe in reincarnation, you believe that after death a person's soul is reborn in another body. Certain religions hold this belief as a central tenet, including Hinduism and Buddhism. The noun reincarnation comes from the Latin roots re, meaning again, and incarnare, meaning to make flesh. The word reincarnation does not have to be a literal rebirth, however. The term can be used to mean a more figurative reinvention or rebirth. Your dad may have spent twenty years of his life working as a stockbroker, but after he reinvented himself, you'd be proud of his reincarnation as a math teacher.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

reincarnation reincarnations

Tibetans, whose Buddhist beliefs allow for infinite reincarnation, reject notions Lobga simply died by suicide.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

And as Rollins aged, he would remain a voracious seeker, with interests that expanded into Zen Buddhism, martial arts, Kabbalah, the esoteric 17th-century tradition of Rosicrucianism, reincarnation and Egyptology.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 26, 2026

Tibetan Buddhists believe he is the 14th reincarnation of a spiritual leader first born in 1391.

From Barron's ● Feb. 2, 2026

One regards The Character as the same person in each act, and through changes that occur within each act — identity, death and reincarnation are at the heart of the show.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 19, 2025

“Ai, Chihuahua . . .” And, now that it had devoured most of the town’s water snakes, that grubby yellow feline reincarnation of Cleofes Apodaca was pitter-pattering quietly along the irrigation ditches, hunting frogs.

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols

Sometime soon we’ll see him as the man a woman falls in love with over and over again through various reincarnations in an indie called “Timestalker.”

From Salon ● May 11, 2024

Kings were long considered reincarnations of the god Vishnu in the majority-Hindu nation.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 11, 2024

She says many features of ongoing climate change are reincarnations of the past warm climates.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 10, 2023

The marks also held stories of pain, reincarnations and beauty.

From BBC ● May 20, 2022

It told the story of Rama, one of the reincarnations of the god Vishnu, who fought a ten-headed demon to rescue his wife.

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

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